The Ins, Outs and Whereabouts of Castlewellan

The Ins, Outs and Whereabouts of
Castlewellan
Stories from a small town in Northern Ireland
by Patsy Mullen
Castlewellan is a town of some several thousand inhabitants situated in the north-east of
Northern Ireland close to the Irish Sea and the Mourne Mountains. A local man, Patsy Mullen,
who has lived in the town for most of the 80 years of his life has written of his knowledge and
memories of the town throughout the 20th century. This book has been a huge success since
Patsy first published it in 1986 and later revised it. It is a fascinating insight into a whole way of
life that is fast disappearing both in Castlewellan and in the north of Ireland as a whole. The
business, sporting and recreational lives of countless amazing characters are recorded with wit
and accuracy. Herein lie many rare and fascinating photographs and this is an unforgettable read
for anyone associated with Castlewellan, or indeed anyone at all.
©2005 Patsy Mullen
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distribute this electronic book (or a hard copy) as-is, without amendment, addition, or omission.
Material within may not be reproduced for use within, or in addition to, other publications
without the express permission of the author. For more information, please email
[email protected] .
Introduction
A total stranger entering Castlewellan from the Rathfriland Road in 1986, would get the
impression that the town had one street with a few trees on either side, but would be amazed at
the sensibility in design and layout of the whole area.
Built originally as a market town centuries ago, it was, by accident, tailor made for the motor car
era. While admiring the buildings, he would be fully aware that the responsibility for the
lifeblood of any town must lie with the owners of the large and small businesses which struggle
from one generation to another.
In one life-time, Castlewellan has had a lot of changes in shops and owners and, although not
wanting a Statistics Report, the stranger might think it a very pleasant experience to re-enter the
Town by the Rathfriland Road, but, this time, in 1900.
Chapter 1
The first name the Visitor would have noticed on the left was Henry Devlin, Spirits, Grocer. This
was one of those original old-fashioned shops where nothing was prepacked. A brown bag was
lifted, blown up by 'the Topper,' as he was known, and then scooped full of rice, barley, sugar or
tea, all from little steel bins. Like most grocer shops then, it had its small dark snuggy pub at the
rear, and Henry, being a Kilcoo man, depended upon support from that area. The Topper was a
stocky little man, who had never sat beside the wheel of a motor car. He himself had a pony and
flat van for making his deliveries, but surprised everyone by buying a car in the 1940's, when
petrol was rationed to two gallons per month.
Henry's chauffeur was a young fellow, who had just got his Driving License, and was keen as
mustard to do the job. The Topper and he fought all through their weekly half gallon trips. The
driver maintained the owner should pay the one shilling and two pence (about 6p) for the petrol.
He, in return, argued that the driver was getting equal pleasure and should fork out. The whole
problem was solved when the price of petrol rose to half-a-crown (12-1/2p) a gallon, and the
Topper decided the car would have to go, and go it did.
Devlin bought the little Drapery and Confectionery next door, when the owner-occupier, Miss R.
A. Doran, died about the middle forties, and closed that business altogether. The Topper died
about the mid fifties and the whole premises got a new owner, Mick Clarke, who used it as a
private residence.
Mick hailed from Backaderry and ran, between 1927 and 1930, with his father, also called Mick,
a sand delivery and one bus service from the Backaderry area to the nearby towns. The old
fellow was also a sewing machine agent and was quite good at repairing these troublesome
articles.
In the early thirties, the Clarkes rented a large shed belonging to the hotel which was situated
along the Newcastle Road. They opened a Motor Repair garage with petrol pumps and did good
business under about 1950, when they built the new garage in the fork of the
Banbridge/Rathfriland Roads.
In the early sixties, Paddy Finnegan, from Belfast, bought all the old Topper's property, moved
the pub from the rear of the building to the front, and named it 'The Mourne View Bar'. The
adjoining shop was rented to Nurse Peggy Duggan, from Burrenreagh, from the early 1950s until
her retirement about 1976, and then to Vincent Brennan, for the sale of car parts. Vincent came
from Loughinisland, remained three years, and moved out in 1985.
After a vacancy of one year, the premises were opened as Hairdressing Salon, called 'Talking
Heads', by Angela McNally from the Circular Road in the Town, and although Paddy Finnegan
carried out major repairs, the entire property remained virtually unchanged.
Two old ladies, Miss McShane and her sister, Mrs. Murphy, lived in the third of this block of
three shops. They let the business part of the premises to two other women, the McEvoys, who
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were dressmakers at that time--the early 1920s. On the retirement of the McEvoys, William
James Guinness, a local ex R.I.C. man, moved in with his family, opened a gents tailoring and
worked there till the middle 1930s, when he built a new house and workshop on the Newcastle
Road opposite the Presbyterian Church. Willie died in 1962, and his house and shop are no
longer used for business.
McShane's empty shop was then rented by Harry McAlinden, a Rathfriland man who had served
his time to the grocery business in Mooney Brothers in Castlewellan. After one year in Hugh
Savages, he decided to go it alone. Following the death of Mrs. Murphy and Miss McShane,
Harry McAlinden bought the whole place, in 1952. he sells cigarettes, confectionery, groceries,
toys, ice-cream and stationery, seven days a week but always manages to follow his favourite
sport, G.A.A. football, having won a few medals in his earlier days.
Henry Devlin's, Miss Doran's and Harry McAlinden's.
Little or no change to the buildings in one hundred years.
Harry himself.
Between McAlindens and the next block of buildings is the R.C. Church, carved from one of the
hardest known granites hewn from a mountain in Ballymagreehan, two miles outside the Town.
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This building stand just the right distance back from the Main Street to allow an observer to
appreciate the fine detail from the ground to the peak of the 175 foot high spire. Built in 1884,
and of a design which probably will never be copied, it stands as a monumental credit to the men
who made it.
The interior of the R.C. Church. The old lamp standards, pulpit and altar
railings have been removed by 1984.
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Almost invisible and situated well behind the Church stood the old Parochial Hall, built shortly
after 1890 to raise funds for the building and running of the new Church. About the 1930's a two
storey Billiard Room was added to the front of the Hall which was to become one of the more
memorable spots for entertainment. In the ground floor a small Library was started by a few
locals and was well stocked with novels to suit all tastes. Books could be exchanged on any
Sunday morning. A game of Billiards was so popular that, it was necessary to book in advance
by writing one's name on a blackboard on the wall. Such was the demand for the two tables. The
hours waiting were well spent watching and listening to the town's old male residents playing
cards in a corner. The highest stake was a penny and as four of these bought a loaf, the old boys
were in deadly earnest, cheating and arguing all night. Once, the half doting and supposedly
stupid Pat (Soady) O'Hare the furniture man, asked the very old and not so supposedly stupid,
Dan Jennings The Blacksmith, to change a shilling (12 Pennies) this was readily done and soon
brought a reply from Pat "You're a penny short Dan". Dan who had a bad shake in his hand and
the same in his slow drawling voice, lifted the money and after recounting it replied "I'm - afraid
- Pat - it's -you's - the - penny - short". This brought an immediate cry from everybody "Pay the
man" which Dan very reluctantly did.
In those days people conversed more with one another, especially the old timers and the young.
If a youngster was walking down the street old Dan Jennings would stop him or her and mutter
*'Infirtaris, inoaknoneis, inbogeelis". The answer was often the same "Sorry Mister I can't speak
Spanish" and it was quite a while before the penny dropped for the youngster. When the Parish
bought the larger premises, (The Corn Crane) the old hall was used by the Scouts but eventually
fell into decay. Together with the Billiard Hall it was demolished in 1984 to make room for the
new Primary School. The Herculean task of having this School built and opened in 1986 fell on
the shoulders of the Rev. Patrick White, P.P. At the time, this School fulfilled the peoples dream,
first mentioned about the 1930's. One man delighted with the new School, is Gerry Brannigan
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the Head Teacher who was born and reared in the town and is eager to do his best for the locals.
For recreation, just hand Gerry a fishing rod and he's on his way.
Tucked in the corner adjacent to the R.C. Church is Bustard's Boot, Shoe and Clog Factory with
dwelling attached. About forty people were employed by Bustard at the turn of the century and
every market day a glass case, containing samples of the footwear they made, was carried to the
Main Street and locked to an iron post on top of the wall surrounding the corn crane. Mr. Bustard
was a small lightly built man fond of shooting. When he retired he bred pointer gun dogs for
sale. He also made and sold a herbal concoction which he swore would cure any form of
rheumatism.
*There is tar in a fir tree, none in the oak tree, an eel in the bog.
In the 1930's a stranger called Noel McClelland, who was then head electrician in the local
power house, known as the Castlewellan Electric Co., married a girl from Burrenbridge by the
name of Stewart. The newly weds then moved into the small house where the Charity Shop is at
present. Sadly McClelland was killed in a motorcycle accident at Aughlisnafin a short time later.
Two men who had worked for Bustard, carried out boot and shoe repairs in the old factory in
1935 / 40 but later continued this business in their little home next door. They were John
Tumelty and Willie Kearney. Another man P.F. McCabe who had served his apprenticeship as a
clogger in the factory before becoming an Insurance Man, returned and carried on a part-time
clogging business in the 1940's. However this style of footwear was out-dated so P.F. closed in
1950. This whole block was bought by the R.C. Church about the 1940's and was then rented to a
young Vet, from Downpatrick, Brian McEvoy who lived in and worked from the dwelling house.
He in turn sublet the shop to a Kilcoo man, Mick Greenan, in 1941 who opened a Green Grocery
and Food Store. In 1947 Mick handed over to his brother Peter who added furniture sales to the
business. Peter moved out of those premises in 1957 leaving the shop empty until 1986. It was
then taken over by Don Corrigan from Newcastle for the sale of knitting wool and accessories
and he calls the shop "The Knitters Knook".
Bustard's Old Show Factory, now the "Knitters Knook"
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Brian McEvoy is still operating his Veterinary practice in 1986 and the small house next door
where the two old shoe repairers worked and lived, has been occupied as a Charity Shop for the
Foreign Missions since 1976. Two ladies from the New Row, Miss Kitty Magorian and Mrs.
Annie Brannigan devoted all their time to running the Mission Shop, (shown overleaf), since it
opened. They raise as much as £4,000 per year in this small place. In the early 1930's this was
the home of Noel McClelland at the time of his fatal accident.
Kitty Magorian and Annie Brannigan in front of the little Charity Shop
The Corn Crane is a large two storey building standing in the Lower Square and was used, at the
turn of the century, for storing, selling and weighing grain. It was also bought by the R.C.
Church from the Annesley Estate around the same time as the purchase of Bustards and was used
for a variety of Parochial functions. The upper storey was used as a Dole Office for a few years
until 1986, and the lower for a temporary school in the 1970's.
A very early and rare photo of the Corn Crane with the wooden weighbridge hut in front. Note the
absence of the corrugated veranda and the surrounding wall. Thought to be around 1890.
Since the 1920's three spectacular Road Shows have appeared in Castlewellan, these were a
"one-off" and almost certainly will never be seen in the Town again. The third was beside the
Corn Crane in 1937 / 38 and was called, The Wall of Death. This consisted of a wooden bowl
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twenty feet high and about fifty feet in diameter. Round the top was a platform where the
spectators stood to watch the performance. "Dare Devil Ena" and "Cyca-Lone Chris" were the
names of the two stars, who, each in turn rode a motor cycle at speed round the inside of this
vertical wall. Both then rode in a crisscross fashion followed by both riding blindfolded. To
finish off the nights display "Chris" drove an Austin Seven Sports Car at forty miles per hour
round the same wall and almost shook everybody off the top. The two bikes were old American
machines known as "Red Indian Motor Cycles". On the Saturday the last day of the Show a
competition was held among the local "would be" Push Bikers. However only man, a Club
Racer, Victor Cordiner from Lisburn (then serving his time in the CoOp), managed to do a half
circle of the vertical part of the wall, something never achieved before on a Push Bike, but a slip
at the finish robbed him of the prize. Pat McCavera from Bunkershill and a Pal of Cordiner made
no mistakes and was the winner. This show was packed to capacity every night.
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On the demesne side of Castlewellan, is a back way which runs the full length of the town
behind the shops, and is called Claremont Avenue. The entrance to this and the new R.C.
Primary School, (nearing completion in 1986), is hidden behind the corn crane as was another
one of those little one bus services which operated in the 1920's and early 1930's. It was based in
one of the houses in the square, and, was owned by Willie Finlay who previously ran a Horse
Hackney business. Willie was a kindly man who had no fixed charge for his Castlewellan Newcastle run. He would say to a woman with a bunch of kids "just throw us a couple o' bob".
He was later helped by his two sons Eddie and Harry "Foggy" but was forced to sell to the Ulster
Transport Authority when that company was expanding into all areas in Northern Ireland in
1934.
At that time Harry started a taxi business in the town and Eddie moved, and started the same in
Newcastle. One day in the early fifties Harry drove to Cork, as he often did, to meet a ship and
collect a passenger travelling from America to Castlewellan. On arrival at the Cork docks, he
found the place crowded with hundreds of children all there to see and meet "Laurel and Hardy",
the popular fat and thin funny men of the 1930-40 films. According to Harry, the expectant
public were greatly disillusioned - the two ol' boys were disgruntled and far from funny. Perhaps
it was hard to be entertaining after the harrowing 7 day boat journey from America. Even in
those days, for the rich and famous, it was the only mode of transport. On Harry's retirement his
son Maurice took over the business, but packed up the taxi work in 1970s. About the middle
1940's their neighbour Francy Murray bought a small lorry and put his son Gerry to selling
paraffin oil round the country, Castlewellan had then two small oil dealers, Francy Murray and
Willie "Texas" Jennings from Bunkershill.
The people in this square hadn't far to go to back a horse in the early 1930's. Brendan Maginnis,
who lived there, ran an illegal bookies from his home, for a man named Cussle from Newcastle,
and any young fellow could earn a few pence looking out for the police. Another family, the
Heenans also lived in the Street. About the 1950's the Heenans let their front room to a local
electrician called Paddy Fegan. Paddy remained in business for a few years until he and his
family emigrated to Australia.
One industrious man who was born, reared in the same square, and worked all his life in the
town, is Tommy Branney. He served his time in Henry Devlins in the 1930's, drove a taxi for
Cunninghams, helped his wife Sarah to run her drapery shop and was a postman for 30 years. In
1940, when there was a good price for pork Tommy fattened pigs at the rear of his little listed
house in the corn crane square. He quit this business when everybody seized this opportunity of
making money, which soon flooded the market with pigs. Tommy, a member of the G.A.A. club
in the 1960's was a fairly good cyclist in his youth, winning lots of prizes at all parochial sports,
and has his trophies to this day. Cycling on the grass was very hard work in the 30's and to ease
the burden a lot of the cyclists fitted cane, wooden rims to the wheels. This also had its
disadvantages. It provided a cute competitor with a chance to give the rear wheel of the Leader's
bike a side flick, smashing the wheel and leaving the rider on the ground unable to continue the
race. This was something which could not happen with the alloy rims in 1986.
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Post Man Tommy Branney
Beside Branney, two houses nos. 15 and 17 were left by Patrick Brennan to his daughters Kate
and Ann. Those two ladies opened a confectionery shop and at the time a boarding house. This
shop was closed about 1930.
This is the Corn Crane Square showing Tommy Branney entering his listed house.
The next one is where Harry Finlay lived and the double one above that had previously been
Brennan's Shop and Boarding House.
Some time later, a Rates Collector attended these premises on the date that payments were due;
people were then able to drop in and pay their rates with ease. A more profitable way of parting
with money, was to lodge it with the Munster Leinster Bank which also attended there one day
per week. Ann Brennan died in 1953 and her sister sold to Barney McManus in 1958. Those two
houses are listed for preservation and although overhauled in the 1980's, by the present owner,
High Gerald O'Neill, they are near enough original but non business today.
Almost unnoticed in the angle of the square were two small places, one was a cafe owned by
Mrs. Rush and was in operation from the early 1900's till about the middle 1940's. The other was
the home of the Bunker's Hill, Jennings Family at the turn of the century. The eldest son Patrick
ran a confectionery and ice cream shop there before he moved to live in Dublin. After these
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people died, the buildings were used as private homes till about the middle 1970's when both
were bought by Jim ("Rosie") Cunningham jun. Rosie completely renovated the lot and turned
the two bottom floors into one shop featuring two semi-bay display windows. The top floor was
retained as living quarters. Before he could proceed any further Jim died, aged 54 years and, as a
result of this, the shop lay empty from 1983 to 1986. His cousin, John McKenny, then occupied
the ground only as a men's and boy's outfitters, during repairs to his own premises.
John McKenny
In the early 1900's, Mrs. Rush, a widow, served tea in front of the building (now Burns Butchers)
on the Main Street before joining her brother Paddy Nelson, a widowers, in the small cafe in the
Square. The Building with the two small paned bay windows was once Rush's on the left and Danny
Jennings' on the right.
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Situated between Rush's Cafe and what is known as 'McAleenan's Corner' is a shop and dwelling
which housed a variety of tenants and businesses in it's time. One proprietor in the 1920's was
Jimmy Kelly who found the times so hard that he was reduced to selling sugar in small halfpenny pokes to youngsters as an alternative to sweets. Some men from the Town would whisper
their order to Jimmy, "A Ha'P'Orth of the dust from the tobacco". As this "Rot Gut" came in bars
about a foot long, it had to be cut to the required weight and was sold at 4 pence an ounce. (At
that time, five Wild Woodbine Cigarettes sold at 2 pence and a packet of Players, 10 for 6 pence
or 20 per one Shilling. One time a small packet of four free cigarettes was joined to the Shilling
Size to boost sales.) This request for tobacco dust infuriated Jimmy, who was baffled as to its
use; indeed it is still a mystery. When Jimmy Kelly finally threw in his towel in 1924 Jimmy
Scullion from Drumaroad tried his luck at the Grocery Trade but having little more success than
his predecessor moved out again in 1925. In 1926, Charles Wells, a local Bread Server bought
the lot and whilst living in the dwelling, let the shop to the Munster Leinster Bank which
operated there until 1951. Throughout the following five years, the Post Office under the
management of Tommy Todd occupied the premises before it was moved to the Upper Square.
When Charlie Wells died in 1960 the whole premises was bought by John Joe Toner from
Newcastle.
School teacher and footballer, Cyril Wells in front of the buildings that was his home and his mothers
dressmaking shop.
We all stand upon a treasured spot, and dream about the past, supposed to be the good old days, but glad they
didn't last.
He renovated the building and opened a ladies and gents Hairdressers. John Joe lived and worked
there until he retired in 1971 when he returned to Newcastle. The following year 1972, Joe
Steele, a Ballylough man and a Chef by profession, took up occupation to sell vegetables, fruit,
wallpaper and paint, but soon found this shop was in the wrong location for this type of business.
He consequently moved to the Upper Square. Within a short time the windows were full of boots
and shoes, and this place was, in 1976, a Foot Ware Store owned by Paddy King The Milkman
from Drumee, who seems to be having more success than his predecessors.
Castlewellan was always well supplied with milk between the 1920's and 50's having about
seven or eight delivery men at any one time. James King owner of 'The Marsh Dairy' on the
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Banbridge Road never missed a morning in his Tub Trap with the milk churn sitting on the seat
and the tap protruding out the back. Jimmy had a brindle-coloured mare pulling the trap for a
lifetime and with uncanny precision that mare would move from door to door without a single
word from the driver. Archie Kirkpatrick from Dundrine had a similar set up to Jimmy King, as
had Mickey King from Drumee. The latter two both preferred Jennets to the pony for delivering
their home produced milk. Newly introduced Government Controls were soon to put that type of
business out of action. Davy Blakley from Ballybannon and two 'Town' men, Ned and Frank
McKenny also had their own customers in the area. With the coming of the New Bottled Milk
System, Archie Kirkpatrick retired whilst Mickey King and his brother Barney introduced Motor
Vans to the business. Jimmy King also stopped deliveries and sold his milk directly to the
Central Dairy, while Davy Blakley moved to Clough to continue his business there. All these
changes took place in the 1940's. When Mickey and Barney King died in 1970 and 1976
respectively their sons Paddy and Brian took over their business and are well established now.
Frank McKenny maintained his love for the pony but expected a lot of work from any he owned.
He preferred this method for his milk delivery to Newcastle as he maintained it saved "Hopping
in and out of a Motor Car", and a smart pony soon got to know all the houses on the Milk Run.
Frank, took over Latisha ('Tishy') McCann's Newsagent and Confectionery when she died in
1944 (situated beside McKenny's Pub), he continued her business until his own death in 1960 his
wife Bridgett carried on the business while their son John was serving his time in Wadsworth in
Newcastle. John finally opened a Drapery in their own shop in Castlewellan in 1970 and is
successful in business to date.
Ned McKenny was one of the Milk Sales Men delivering round Annsborough and 'The Town'
between 1930 and 1960 using a pony and van, but later changed to the motor. His Dairy was in
the centre of the three McKenny yards and had to be entered through Frank's or Pat's.
Ned was an animal lover and every stray dog was sure of a home in McKennys. One day a
Farmer asked Ned it he knew where he could get a good working collie, and of course Ned had
the very one. Wanting to see it in action, they went to a field where there was a flock of sheep
standing in the middle, Ned released the dog and to quote his own words "I could see the brute
never saw a sheep before, and as it charged across the field there was nothing I could do, so I just
roared "Divide"!
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McKenny's corner around 1910
The unexpected roar soared hell out of the sheep which scattered in all directions. The Farmer
thought this was powerful stuff and gave Ned £2 for the dog. Ned McKenny died in 1979. His
home was later sold to John Ward from Burrenbridge about 1983, and his yard to O'Rourke
Bros., the Plumbers around the same time.
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Joe McAleenan's old corner house and shop was built long before the 1900's, and documents
show that it was originally a drapery which operated until 1938. The shop was then occupied by
Jim ("Rosie") Cunningham, who had served his time in Burns' Butchers, for selling meat. Jim
was a tenant for a few years but left to sell directly from a pony drawn flat van and later from the
boot of a car. He quit this business altogether in 1940, and took a job in Hendron Bros., Belfast,
driving a lorry.
An advert taken from a 1900 catalogue.
In 1939, Joe McAleenan's son, Tom (who had served his time to the Grocery in Mooney Bros.),
started up in their own shop. Later, in 1969, Tom also became an agent for lime, slag, manure
and seed potatoes. He did a fair trade until he reached retirement age in 1984, and closed the
business.
Tom McAleenan at the door of his vacant shop, 1986.
The McAleenans also owned the shop next door which was rented by a Chemist, George
Shannon from Newcastle. He was also qualified to test eyesight and supply glasses. George had
an assistant from the Town, also a Chemist, who took over when Shannon retired. This man,
James Wilson, remained there a few years and then moved across the street. A short time later,
McAleenan's small shop became a boutique, run by two Walsh sisters from Kilcoo, who found
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the competition too great and closed. Shortly afterwards, a young electrician from Clarkhill,
Willie Shaw opened an electrical supplies and repairs in the premises but remained for only three
years, from 1962 to 1965, before moving to Newcastle. 1983 saw Frank Lennon, from across the
street, in occupation of this little shop and he is still there to date.
Frank Lennon, the Grocer, served his time in 1923, in Annsborough Stores. He started on his
own in the little shop at the top of Ballybannon, near his home in Aughlisnafin. In 1947, he
bought Peter King's Restaurant, on Castlewellan, Main Street, beside Halls, the Boot Shop.
Frank moved in with his family and soon built up a good grocery trade, backed up with a fast
delivery service. Within a few years, he combined his hobby, tinkering with radios and T.V.s,
with his business and went into selling some musical instruments as well.
Frank Lennon in his Electric Shop
Frank Lennon was playing Gaelic Football as soon as he was fit to walk and never lost his
sincere enthusiasm for all Gaelic sports. As Frank was always depicting the old Ireland, this was
a great shop for a yarn and people had to drag themselves away from this character. This was one
of the few places to obtain the 'Our Boys'. This little weekly was full of stories about the
Banshees and Leprechauns of the old rural Ireland and, if the stories weren't strange enough,
Frank would very soon add spice to them. When the time came for him to retire, he sold his
premises to John McKenny, who had a drapery next door, and moved across the street to Tom
McAleenan's small shop, in 1982. He is now working at the radios, T.Vs and the sale of musical
instruments more as a pastime.
It is said that Burns' Butchers are the oldest business name in the Town. Records reveal their
connection with the meat business dates back nearly two hundred years. Mickey Burns was
selling meat since the early 1900s, employing about four men at any one time. Peter Cowan and
Bertie Cunningham, both from the Corncrane Square, worked in Burns' for a lifetime, together
with two others, Jimmy Bloomfield Jun. and Joe McCartan, who had horse vans on the road.
Like all butchers at that time, they did their own killing at the rear of the premises and the
carcases hung for a week to tenderise. Mickey, a good runner in his time, was prominent in all
local community functions, especially the Agricultural Shows and Athletic Sports held in the
Demesne, in 1913.
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For a week or so after a circus had visited Castlewellan, Mickey Burns's horses must have
wondered what changed Jimmy Bloomfield Jun., from Mary Street and Joe McCartan, from the
Cow Lane. Instead of leading the tired horses to the field after a hard day's work, those two boys
would have galloped them round the field doing all the fancy aerobatics on the backs of the poor
old nags, and often with a few other locals waiting to give them the same dose.
When Mickey Burns died in 1965, and his property and lands divided among his family, the
shops was taken over by Pat, who renovated the entire property and certainly did not let down
the name of Burns' Butchers.
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Pat Burns in his modern Butchers Shop where everything is pre-packed except the fresh meat.
The beginning of the 20thCentury saw Andy Tuft in the shop next to Mickey Burns, and the
business he carried on there was Funeral Undertaking, Hackney, Drapery and some Grocery. The
premises were taken over about the 1918, 1920's, by Tuft's grandson, Jim Wilson, changed to
furniture manufacturing and sales of house furnishings. Competition in this line was so great in
the 1930's, that Jim Wilson offered to refund the train or bus fare to anyone who came from as
far afield as Belfast and bought at least £20.00 worth of his goods. Also about that time, Jim
became prominent in the Auctioneering and Real Estate business and, for a while, lived in the
Lodge beside Henry Devlin. The Lodge is now Parish property and is used as a temporary
Primary School. While serving his apprenticeship in Belfast, Jim Wilson enjoyed a few rounds in
the boxing ring and carried his agility until he died in 1982.
The Wilsons sold their property and furniture business to 'Printrite', in 1977, and moved further
up the street to continue with auctioneering and real estate only. They bought and rebuilt on
Scotty Herron's old site, on the corner of Castle Avenue. The business is now owned and run by
Jim's youngest son, Will. A part of this new building facing onto the Main Street was rented to
Anthony Cochran, as a grocery and vegetable shop, but Anthony moved out again in less than
one year. The floor above Wilson's office was taken by a Dentist from Newcastle, Brian Gibson,
a son of Doctor Gibson in that town. The small shop on the front, vacated by Cochran, is now
occupied by an Optician with a name foreign to Castlewellan - Fairbairn.
A Colourful Procession went through Castlewellan in the 1900's, with Joe Burns from
Annsborough driving one of Andy Tuft's wagonettes. Joe worked for Tufts and that car couldn't
have carried the yarns he told. A favourite one told of the time he was Sexton for the R.C.
Church (about the mid 1930's) under the Dean McKenna. One day, while passing through the
Parochial House, he pinched a pound of ham from the table. The ham tasted good but pricked
Joe's conscience enough to force him to go to confessions the following Saturday night. "I stole a
pound of ham", Joe told the Dean. "Then you will just have to make restitution", replied the
Dean. "Would you take it, Father"? asked Joe. "Oh no, not at all" said the Dean. "Ah well", said
Joe, "I've offered it to the owner and he doesn't want it, so what am I going to do?" "In that case,
just say a little prayer that the ham will do you a world of good", answered the Dean, and bid Joe
goodnight.
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A Colourful Charitable Procession 1900. Andy Tufts' is quite visible on the left. The white shop
adjoining Tufts is Hagan Ward, Butcher. The third building is Lintons.
In 1900, a very old building between Tufts and Lintons, belonging to Wards, and was used as a
family butchers, was demolished and rebuilt with red and yellow bricks, as can be seen in any
picture taken since that date. It was then redesigned, having two shops and one living quarters.
One shop remained a Butchers known as Hagan-Wards. The other was occupied by an expoliceman, Alex McLoughlin, for use as a photographic studio. Ward remained in these premises
until he retired in 1926 and sold out.
On the second Monday of April, 1916, being a Fair Day, a young man arrived in Castlewellan to
start the first day of his apprenticeship to the hardware trade, in the Co-Op situated on the Main
Street. He had carried his bicycle most of the way from Hilltown, near his home, through one of
the worst snowfalls recorded for that time of year. Castlewellan soon took to the young John
Shilliday and in ten years, by 1926, he had bought all the property belonging to Hagan-Ward,
and opened his own hardware store. In a short period of time he had built a large shed in a
garden across the rear avenue, started a timber yard and commenced to make and sell all shapes
and sizes of hen houses. As the years passed, he was making concrete blocks, steel roof trusses,
tiled fireplaces and became a leading builders supplier. John Shilliday was another man who
took advantage of the high price of pork in 1940, and enhanced the environment with his
piggeries behind his shed!
John perfected the technique of jamming a cigarette in one side of his mouth and blasting the
smoke out the other. This comic way of 'exhausting' earned him the nick-name 'the Blow
Shilliday'. In the Cafe in the Lower Square, Miss Murphy kept a pot of fresh peas constantly
boiling on the fire and sold them out in bags, hot, and she always said that John was her best
customer. He ate them by the pot full. Shilliday was a very gruff type of man but, strangely
enough, this gruffness made him very popular in the Town. John died in 1978, leaving his son
William to carry on the business. When John Shilliday first bought Wards, there was evidence
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that a picture house had been in operation at the rear of the building a few years earlier. The
proprietor was a Miss Bosco.
Billy Shilliday among his bits and pieces.
This large square building was the original Shilliday Hardware and the place with the arched
windows (below) is the modern version.
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Willie Linton sold groceries, confectionery, toys, daily and weekly papers as well as being an
Agent for shipping lines. He would also develop photographs on request. He was a burley,
moustached man, fond of a joke or a laugh, and any youth who went there for his weekly,
'Wizard', 'Rover' or 'Hotspur' Magazine would probably have been asked to pick up something
Willie had just dropped. The youth often straightened quicker than intended, because that
something was usually one of the new type of toys - 'Electric Shockers'. It didn't take the Town
youths long to discover where the kicks were to be had and Lintons did a good run in papers and
shocks, much to the pleasure of both parties. Willie Linton always preached to his customers,,
"Look after the Half Pennies and the Pounds look after themselves". By doing this, he said he
himself would die a wealthy man. When his time eventually arrived Willie Jun.. and his wife
who had already been helping in the shop, took over and carried on the business until her
retirement - about 1961 or 62. They then sold the property to Ian Crosset.
Ian Crosset had a large mobile grocery trade as well as the shop and both kept him working to
the limit of human endurance. At the rear of the premises was a large store in which he set up a
system of battery hens for the production of eggs for sale. Unfortunately the store and contents
were destroyed by fire in 1972, leaving Ian with the added expense of rebuilding. There are some
unusual rules governing property in Castlewellan and, in a case like Crossets, the Annesley
Estate could demand payment for damage even though the property had been repaired. After
twenty three years Ian had enough and in 1986, sold to a Belfast man, Maurice Fitzmaurice,
moved to Newcastle and devotes a lot of time to his hobby - collecting old photos and postcards
of Castlewellan. Fitzmaurice renovated the old shop and it is now a modern Supermarket.
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The Linton Family
The recent photo of Spar shows the home of the Lintons for one first half of the century.
Between the early 1900's and the 1950's the place adjoining Lintons had six tenants - Willie
Caruth from 1910 until 1912 with Grocery, followed by Jordans with Footwear and Drapery,
then by Edward McCartan from Burrenreagh with a Ladies and Gents Outfitters. McCartan who
was the owner at that time (about the early Thirties) sold to Sarah Shields before emigrating to
America. Sarah Shields continued in the same line, and when she died in 1940, it remained
unchanged and was taken over by Sarah Smith from The Grange in the Demesne. Sarah Smith,
who had been Shields' Assistant for years, became Mrs. Tommy Branney in 1941, and was then
helped by her husband in the shop. The Branneys sold out to Sean King in 1960 and the entire
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property was subsequently renovated including the Living Quarters. The Living Quarters were
once occupied by Nurse Fitzpatrick. The Nurse had three sons, Seamus, Tom and Patsy. Seamus,
the eldest and a bricklayer by trade was the local Councillor from the 1960's to 1976 when he
died suddenly at the age of 55 years. he had just declared himself a Building Contractor a few
years earlier. Seamus was following in his father's footsteps - he had also been a Councillor in
his lifetime. When Sean King died, this Drapery was taken in hand by Sean Jun., who was, and
remained a Male Nurse in Downpatrick Hospital. He also continued with a small mobile Drapery
trade while his wife Jean ran the shop. In 1985 the Kings added a small Coffee Room to their
business. This is at the rear of the premises and can be entered through the shop.
Sean King, Jun., Style Galore.
The new Railway Station was an ideal place for the East Downshire Steam Shipping Co., based
in Dundrum, to set up a Coal Yard and Office in Castlewellan about 1910. They supplied the
surrounding area until the early 1950's when it became known that the Railway was going to
close. This Company then moved into an office on the Main Street in Castlewellan, a part of the
premises of D. and J. O'Flynn had, in the early 1900's been a leading Drapers and Auctioneering
Firm but had closed about the early 1930's. This Shop was later divided, and the upper half, (the
street being on a slope), was re-opened by O'Flynn's daughter Annie for the sale of all
newspapers, stationery, confectionery and cigarettes. In the 1950's the Downshire soon expanded
building a huge shed in O'Flynn's yard across Claremont Avenue for the storage of coal. They
then filled the front office with hardware good and went into the business of supplying building
materials. In 1968, the Stewarts, once property owners in the Town and, at that time,
Shareholders in the Downshire, pulled out, leaving the large shed vacant.
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The Old Railway Station when a pound was a quid. A half crown was a half dollar. A half dollar
was two bob and a tanner. A tanner was six pence or pennies. 1 penny was a wing.
Shortly after this, in 1969 the Government sponsored a programme for Further Education,
irrespective of age or occupation and started a wood-working class in the empty shed. This class
was attended by adults, and took the form of a boatbuilding exercise under the supervision of
Leslie Hanna, a Boat Builder from Newcastle. One local man Billy Shilliday, the Hardware
Shop, built himself a useful little motorboat. On completion of this course the entire yard and
shed was occupied by Jim Cunningham ("Young Rosie") for his Electrical Business but still
remained O'Flynn's property. In 1966 Annie O'Flynn sold the premises as a going concern to
Armitage, a Killyleagh man, who remained there until 1973 when he sold the business to
Rodgers Bros. The Rodgers Bros. were the major Building Contractors at that time and the
premises were soon renovated into a modern shop selling the same goods. In the early 1980's,
Rodgers Bros. decided to run down their building business which they had started in Mary Street
behind the Ulster Bank in 1953, (the year they extended St. Malachy's High School on the
Rathfriland Road). They are operating a limited business at the present time. Sam Porter ran a
Drapery, Hackney and Funeral Undertaking at the beginning of the Century, in the premises
which are now McCann's Pharmacy on the Main Street.
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O'Flynn's as it is today under Rodgers. The Chemist next door is McCann's.
Kathleen Rodgers behind the counter of the Newsagents Shop in 1986.
Sometimes around 1930 Sam sold the Drapery to Andy Brown and the Hearse and Hackney
Business to Cunningham Bros. The hearse was a converted two-seater car from about the 1930
period. It was supposed to have belonged to a Director in Jacobs, Dublin and had the longest
engine ever in Castlewellan. It was a Sunbeam Straight Eight Cylinder and was easily seven feet
long from the radiator to the end of the gearbox. Andy Brown moved to Newcastle in 1937. Mrs.
Joe Guinness who lived with her family and ran a Cafe in the living quarters also moved to let
the new owner, Tom McCann, take possession. Tom, a son of the Publican across the street
opened a Pharmacy in 1938 and after forty eight years is still behind the counter. Tom's main
recreation was Gaelic Football, having won an Ulster Junior Medal for Down in 1931. In 1932,
he won an Ulster Minor Medal for Antrim and in 1943 the first Railway Cup Medal in Down. He
was also Secretary for Bryansford Club and played for the team when they won the Down Senior
Championship in 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942. It is everyone's ambition in life to do well in
business or trade but how sweet the memory, as they grow older, is that of having won Trophies
for sport either alone or in company with others.
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Tom and Ita McCann in their Pharmacy.
'The Arcade' was the name painted above the front of another clothes shop on the low side of
Cunninghams. The owner occupiers were two sisters, McEvoys, in the 1900's, and did well
enough to purchase and drive a tiny two-seater Citroen Car of the 1923 period. They looked a
picture touring about in this car with the hood down and the seat about head height. When not in
use it was treated with loving care being smothered in blankets in the garage. When those two
ladies retired in the 1940's the premises were bought by the Cunninghams. It was then rented to
John Ward, who, with his wife Mary ran a ladies and Gents Hairdressers, with confectionery as a
sideline. John was a prominent member of the Town G.A.A. Football Committee and devoted a
lot of time to this. When the Wards retired their successors were the Harbinson Bros., Paddy and
Peter who opened a Home Bakery and are still on the fore.
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SOME OF THE PLAYERS WHO WERE CASTLE WELLAN BUSINESS MEN
1. Paddy Steele, Butcher, Upper Square; 2. John O'Hare, Furniture and Grocery, Main Street 3.
John Connolly (Mooney Bros.), Main Street; 4. Tommy Hannity, Butcher, Lower Square; 5.
Mickey King, Draper; 6. James Steele, Dairy Herd and Milking Parlour at rear of Shop, Upper
Square; 7. Tom McCann with ball, Chemist, Main Street.
This a 1923 Citroen and although a four-seater, is in every other
respect identical to the car owned by the Miss McEvoys.
Cunningham Bros. - Hauliers, Taxis, Funerals, Petrol and Car Repairs was situated in the centre
of the Main Street occupying property once known as 'The Star Bakery'. In 1912 all deliveries of
goods to Castlewellan were by train. The railway was a new addition to the Town that year, and
the station being a half a mile outside the Town meant that goods had to be collected and handed
into the different shops. This service was carried out by Cunninghams using an old lorry which
they converted into a bus by placing the body of an old Charabanc on the lorry. They also carried
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Chapter 5
parties of people to functions at the weekends. On the Demesne side of Claremont Avenue
Cunninghams built a large shed in which they carried out motor repairs until the middle Thirties.
They then closed down this part of their business and concentrated more on the Taxis, Funerals
and Petrol, having sold their Haulage Business to the Ulster Transport Authority. In this same
yard, Cunninghams rented out stables to Hughes Bakers from Belfast who had local men selling
their bread around the country until the motor van took over. The stables were then used for a
time by the G.P.O. to garage a new issue of Post Vans. One was driven by Mickey McEvoy from
the Circular Road; he was one of the longest serving Postmen in the Town having served his
time as a Telegram Boy in Belfast in the 1920's. He retired about 1968.
A view down Main Street
Between 1945 and 1950 the brothers fattened pigs in another part of the yard but when the
demand for pork fell they gave this business up as well. Barney Cunningham died in 1952.
Mickey, (The Twister), who, in his youth was the best 100 yard sprinter in the country, died in
1960 and Patrick (Snow) in 1975. All three were bachelors. The business was then taken over by
Brendan (Leaky) a nephew who worked in the Taxi Business for a while. However at that stage,
everybody had cars and taxis were no longer needed, so he gave this up. In 1985 Brendan found
that the Petrol and Motor Accessory Trade had become too competitive and like a lot of other
people decided to stop selling these products and continue with funerals only. In 1986 he went
into selling potted plants and flowers for the garden.
Cunningham Bros. who were in business since the turn of the Century are supposed to have
bought the second car registered in Castlewellan. Willie Skillen bought the first with Willie
Kirkwood and Doctor McNabb close third - all within a few days of each other. Skillens,
Cunninghams and McNabbs had Model T Fords, Caruths and Kirkwoods had Bullnose Morrises.
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Chapter 5
Cunningham Bros. with their mother about the 1916 period.
Back Row: The man with the hat is possibly the husband of Mrs. Cunningham who had the
confectionery on the Circular Road, the next fellow is Mickey "The Twister", then the mother and
at the end Paddy "Snow". Front Row: Bernard and almost certainly Jimmy.
Two pictures of 1913 Charabancs
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Brendan Cunningham standing at his door. His petrol pumps are dead. He said they were a loss to
run. So changed to flowers instead.
About 1943 Patsy Mullen (who worked as a Plasterer and part time Mechanic in Clarke's Garage
on the Newcastle Road) and his Uncle Willie Magorian (also a Plasterer with an interest in cars)
were invited by Cunninghams to start motor repairs and agreed to do so. In the Bros. old Garage
this was a proposition beneficial to all parties. Six years later Mullen moved across the street.
Magorian carried on the Garage and went into the Pig Business as well. Willie was fond of a
game of soccer, football and in his youth played for Castlewellan Arsenal. During this time he
often played both against and along side Joe Toner (a professional from Bunkers Hill). Joe
played for English Arsenal in the 1900's and when at home was quite a star on the Castlewellan
Hurley Team - winner of a lot of County Games at that time. Willie Magorian worked in that
Garage until the day of his sudden death in 1982. The old place he occupied has fallen down
since then.
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Chapter 5
Willie Magorian about the 1940's with his 1936 Riley nine H.P. car.
This street is called the "New Row" and the man in the background is Mickey McEvoy the Post
man.
Joe Toner from Bunkers Hill,
International Soccer Star, capped for Ireland 1910
Bunkers Hill was an area of the Town which produced lots of talented footballers. However none
was better than Pat Rice - a member of the Down G.A.A. Team which in 1960 brought home the
'All-Ireland' Senior Trophy the, 'Sam Maguire Cup'. Pat, incidentally is a nephew of the late Joe
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Toner. The premises between Brendan Cunningham's and Magorian's Cafe was a Footwear
Shop, run between the 1900's and the 1950's by two sisters, McCrackens. It was then, on their
retirement, bought by Jimmy Shilliday - a brother and assistant of John, the Hardware Merchant
in the Town. Jimmy knew absolutely nothing about this type of Business and was relieved when
Ernie McCready, who already has a footwear shop in Newcastle bought him out and was more
successful. Ernie died about the mid 1970's but his Business is still going well.
Pat Rice in action in Croke Park 1960.
Across the back Avenue and directly behind the McCready premises, two Kilcoo brothers, Billy
and Ben Walsh, used a large yard as a base for their Building Firm in the 1940's. They went out
of business about the late 1960's or 1970's. The yard now belongs to Billy Shilliday of the
Hardware.
From the 1880's through to the 1930's, Castlewellan was a booming Town and the place to have
any type of business. The shops were open until at least ten o'clock on Saturday nights, drawing
crowds of people into the Town, as well as Fruit Traders from the orchards of Portadown. The
shutters didn't go up until there wasn't a person in sight. One of the largest stores in Town was
William Stranaghan's Hardware and Grocery. When this place went up for sale in the early
1900's it was bought by four men, John Maginn, Albert Priestly, Annett and Tommy Skillen - all
locals who formed a Company and renamed it the Co-Op. This Company functioned well for a
few years but times were changing for the worse in Castlewellan so the Co-Op dissolved in
1935. It was sold to Gibson Bros., in 1941, then the 'Supply Stores'. Archie Gibson had served
his time in Annsborough Store and with his brother Willie had already been in the Grocery Trade
in the shop next door to the Co-Op. In the period between 1920 and 1950 the upper storeys of the
Co. were used as a Technical School mostly for Night Classes. During the day the older boys
pupils in the Primary Schools were sent there one hour per week to learn basic Woodwork.
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Gibsons didn't expand the Hardware but concentrated on the Grocery and remained there until
they retired about 1970.
The new owners were Dessie and Eamon McMullan from Newcastle. Des was a Chemist and
used half of the shop for this purpose. Eamon opened a Grocery in the other half but for
unknown reasons vacated it within a couple of years. This was the opportunity Malachy
Magorian was waiting for and in 1973, he became the new owner. During the time that this
business was the Co-Op the Manager was Mr. Henry Lynch from Derryneil. When it became
apparent the Co. was about to fold up, Harry started a Confectionery, Tobacconist and Provision
Shop two doors up the street. It was previously much the same type of store and was run by
Jimmy Connolly. Harry died in 1962 and the Shop still operates as a family affair.
McCready's Footwear, "The Oak Grill". Smalls the Butchers under the cover and Harry Lynch's
at the extreme right.
Malachy Magorian was a Bunkers Hill man. He started his career in the Catering Business in
Newcastle about 1940. From there he began to export rabbits for eating by the thousands to
England. When the demand for those fell he made a mobile Fish and Chips van and attended
functions as well as nightly visits to nearby towns. "Malk" as he was always known soon had a
couple of vans on the road selling chips, confectionery and fancy goods and at one time had the
Trading Rights of Tyrella Beach. About 1968 he purchased a very large bus and made it into a
mobile sit down Cafe serving hot meals at Race Meetings, Horse Shows, etc. This was
considered a brilliant idea by many people. However for reasons known only to himself 'Malk'
subsequently dropped his venture within a short space of time. The old Co-Op was ideal for
Malachy's requirements. After extensive alternations, it emerged as a Cafe, on the ground floor,
with the Town's first Carry-Out at the front and a large Restaurant and Entertainment Hall on the
second floor. It was licensed for the sale of beer, wine and spirits and was named 'The Oak Grill'.
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Chapter 5
Malachy Magorian, proprietor of "The Oak Grill"
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Chapter 6
In the 1900 period Castlewellan had two blacksmith shops - one in Mary Street and the other
behind the Co-Op. The latter was hidden behind two little dwelling houses on the demesne side
of Claremont Avenue and had to be reached by an entry between McCammon's shed and the
houses. A Blacksmith, Nathaniel Rodgers, (a brother of Alex) occupied this shop until the late
1920's before moving to Annalong. The next tenant was a man called "Ginn" - the fattest smithy
in Ireland. He disappeared from the scene about 1933. This vacant spot was soon filled by Paddy
and John Kelly from Burrenbridge -sons of the old Paddy who had three sons in the trade and
welcomed this opening. The two Kellys worked there until they moved to Mary Street in 1947.
The Smithy in Claremont Avenue was without light and Paddy contacted Patsy Mullen (the local
mechanic) to find out if he could manufacture a large portable carbide light. It wasn't long before
this contraption was ready for a trial and it was brought round for Paddy to see it working. It
consisted of a one gallon heavy steel water container on top of another strong removable gallon
size container for the carbide. There was also a water regulator tap and twelve feet of rubber hose
to carry the gas to the portable burner. All this was set up and gave a brilliant light - yet another
job well done! To complete the system, all that was needed was a proper nipple for the end of the
hose. After the demonstration Patsy unscrewed the flex hose at the gas tank, stood with his latest
success in his arms while discussing recent current affairs with Paddy (Snow) Cunningham and
his nephews, John and
Paddy Kelly at work.
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Chapter 6
Paddy (Snow) Cunningham the man who fired the Town's first satellite.
Carbide to Gas Converter made by P. Mullen about 1942
Paddy Kelly then, for some reason, known only to himself, Snow lit a match and put it to the
take off opening on the carbide tank. With an unearthly bang the water tank was blown right
through the roof and the rest into smithereens. After the initial shock somebody piped up "A houl
ye, ye have plenty of light now Paddy". After much deliberation on what might have been a very
nasty accident, the project was shelved permanently!
On buying the Co-Op. Gibson Bros. then became the owners of the two tiny houses and the
blacksmith shop on Claremont Avenue. In 1940 the houses were demolished to make a frontal
entrance to the Smithy which was then to be used as a paint shop for a white South African,
"Vivian Scott". Scott hand painted motor cars with such perfection that it was hard to tell if the
paint was brushed or sprayed on. His lettering and house painting were of the same standard and
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Chapter 6
Castlewellan soon adopted him. His recreation was football and it wasn't till he was on the local
football team that his talent became known. However, after a few years in the town he was gone
as quick as he had come. The paint store then became a workshop for (young Rosie) Jim
Cunningham an electrical engineer from the town. Jim had served his time in Hendron Bros. in
Belfast and was just starting out on his own about 1950. Stanley Whyte served his time in the
town Co-Op during the 1928-1934 period and remained there for an extra year to help Gibson
Bros. settle into their new shop, the Supply stores.
The Echo of the Anvil
The Garage replaced the old smithy
With the car from the pony and trap
For the silence of rubber tyred transport
From the music of clippity clap.
The smell of the burning of horse hoof
For the exhaust fumes of smokey old oil
The pleasure of leisurely travel
for the risk of a car engine boil.
The Smith he drove all the nails home
On shods for the pony to trot
If he did the same on a motor
He would have what is now termed a flat.
There's no hair to clip on the motor
Nor hay to fork by the bart
Just a heap of rusty old iron
When most needed refuses to start.
But gone are the days of the nags and their ways
Though as friends we must give them their dues
For a crack of the whip and they were off with a skip
No backfires or blowing a fuse.
The garage was a community centre
Like the forge was in days of old
Where the farmer could meet on a Monday
And many a tall tale was told.
Pat Eddie Murray of Slieveniskey
Who spun yarns he always made up
Asked Henry Smyth from Leitrim
If he would buy a good Collie pup.
Then following long deliberation
Henry did eventually speak
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Chapter 6
I wouldn't have a full days barking
For a dog in the whole of a week.
The garage replaced the old smithy
For time neither dailies or naps
And though it's quite sad to see, it just had to be
The cars from the ponies and traps.
Written in 1992 by Patsy Mullen who opened a small garage in Castlewellan in the early 1940s the
period when the Blacksmith shop was fading out and he still gets p1easure from the memories of
the times he spent in the forge with the late Paddy Kelly the local Blacksmith.
Whyte Bros., Millhill
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Chapter 6
The Bros. in their well stocked Shop, previously a Shoemaker's by their father, "Willie ".
Stanley started out on his own in 1936 and helped by his brother Gerry, soon built up a good
grocery trade in the small shop on Millhill, putting a delivery van on the road. By the mid. 1970's
they were well into Calor gas and all the appliances connected with it. Stan. claims that they are
"the longest reigning grocers in the town", fifty year in all and the shop is original. A keen golfer
and a member of the Mourne club since it was founded in 1946, Stan has to his credit, two
mounted battered old golf balls, one Haskell used seventy five years ago by Alex Herd and the
gutty ball used by James Baird who was defeated in that challenge match by Herd at Ormeau
about 1911. The Whytes are still in business but are feeling the urge to sell out and retire. Other
small grocer and confectionery shops on Millhill, were those belonging to George Dornan, Bob
Hamilton and Hugh B. McMullan. All closed by the mid 1970's.
Small Bros, Butchers
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Chapter 6
Shortly after the war started, sometime about the early 1940's the Castle was occupied by British
soldiers. One in particular, a young fellow called Bob Pinches, was a cook in the army and
although he didn't know it at the time he was destined to become part of this community. Bob
met and married Lois Gibson, a sister of the owners of the Supply Stores and when demobed he
settled in the town. He soon became involved in the local soccer club and for a living started a
cafe at Morrisons Corner after Johnny Goslyn left. Later on he moved to the premises owned by
Gibsons, next door to the Supply Stores. It had just been vacated by another of the Gibson
women who previously ran a tea room on the upper floor. The bottom shop at that time was used
as a parcel depot for the U.T.A. and for a short time was the Post Office. Bob Pinches started a
home bakery and tea room there and this was the sixth business in that place within eighty years.
The first was John Nulty selling second hand clothing. The next was Henry McCracken with new
clothing and footwear, followed by Gibson Bros. Grocery, the Post Office, Miss Gibson's Tea
Room and then Bob. On the death of his wife, Bob Pinches returned to his home town in
England but died shortly afterward, in the early 1980's. Bob's empty bakery was used, for a
while, by Billy Shilliday during repairs to his own property. Later in the early 1980's this place
was changed to a Butcher's shop run by Small Bros. from Newcastle and remains the same to
date.
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Chapter 7
Willie Caruth took his first staggering steps in the world of commerce when he opened a Grocery
shop beside Lintons. He also joined with Fred Wright in the potato trade, in the large shed
behind McCammons. This was prior to 1912, for, by that time he had bought the shop (now the
Post Office, under the management of Peter Murphy, from Cabra). Willie began his grocery
trade there after taking over from three old sisters, the Murrays, who were drapers. He took
advantage of the motor van to get to Belfast and home again with his wares, before the town was
awake in the mornings.
When he retired in 1967, the business was rented to 'Bell', from Ballyward, who stayed there till
1983. Then, on the death of Willie Caruth, in 1965, his son, Harry, converted the dwelling part of
the premises into another shop and rented it to Savage, from Downpatrick, as a Home Bakery.
The old vacated Grocery then became the new Post Office.
There were two shops (McCammon, Hardware and Blackwood, Tailor) between Caruth's and
Ryan's Corner. It is noticeable that Ryan's property had also been a Post Office in earlier days
and later owned by Caruth, from the 1950's, to 1985.
McCammon's Hardware, was established about 1911 in a building known as 'The Annesley
Arms Hotel'. The old man was one of the leading suppliers of all types of horse-drawn farm
machinery, as well as house building materials. When he passed on, he left the store to his two
sons, Bert and Stanley, who advanced with the times and stocked tractor-drawn implements and
added a petrol pump, sited on the Avenue to the Demesne. In a large shed at the rear, they made
wooden huts of all sizes and shapes and, like most businesses at that time, displayed their
products on the Main Street on Market and Fair days, giving the town a look of prosperity. On
the deaths of Bert and Stanley, Stanley Jun. took over, and currently stocks everything for ever
increasing number of "Do-it-Yourself" people. Gone are the days when the main importers of
machinery share their profit with a sub-agent; gone are the days when almost every housewife
had her hen-house with a few chickens and gone are the days when petrol companies want a one
pump man, leaving people like the McCammons to phase out those lines of business.
From the 1920's to the late 1930's, the Post Office was owned and run by Sammy Ryan, and was
ideally situated on the corner of Castle Avenue. About 1947, Sammy moved the Post Office to a
part of James O'Flynn's, further down the Town, and sold the Corner to Sam Smiley. Sam was a
son of the Chemist across the street and, being of the same profession as his father, ran
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Willie Caruth with Delivery Man George Bates. Around 1948-50
a pharmacy for a few years before emigrating to Canada. The Corner was then purchased by
Harry Caruth, who rented the shop to Desmond McMullan, a Chemist from Newcastle. Des
stayed but a short time, having bought Gibson's Supply Stores, in partnership with his brother,
Eamon, a Grocer. The next tenant in the Corner was Paddy Steele, who already owned a
Butcher's Shop in the Town, and soon found that one more was one too many: he was out again
in three years. Following the closure of the Butcher's Shop, Des McMullan returned and the
Corner was yet again a Pharmacy, until Des retired, in 1984.
Sammy Ryan fought in the 1914/18 War, was a Chauffeur to the Annesleys and, at onetime,
owned a Motor Repair Garage in Newcastle. He ran the Post Office in Castlewellan and taught a
Motor Engineering Class in the local Technical College, which was then the upper storeys of the
Co-Op. Sammy was full of life and always playing tricks on people, such as pinching the wheels
of his neighbour' (McCammons') cars. He had a half crown with a hole in it, to which he tied a
length of black thread, and placed it on the footpath, with the thread hidden in a crack. He then
waited for that someone who would always come along, spot the coin and, after a slow look
around, bend down, only to find that the dough had disappeared.
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The Post Office as it is today. It was the original 'Caruth' Grocery.
Stanley McCammon in his store, 1986.
Once when the half dozen local postmen were being pressed to join a trade union, Sammy let
them meet the union representatives in his home, on a night when he conveniently had business
elsewhere. After a first-class meal on the house, a large bottle of whisky (also presented by
Ryan) was found to contain nothing but cold tea.
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A 1950 photo showing McCammons on the left with ornamental upper bay windows.
Little changed today.
An up to date photo of Blackwood's Drapery.
Ryan's Post Office on the right and McCammon 's on the left.
When Sammy Ryan retired, the Post Office was moved to the shop left empty by Gibson
Brothers, on their purchase of the Co-op. It remained there only a very short time before it was
transferred to a part of O'Flynn's Paper Shop. Again, after a short stay, it was moved to the
Lower Square (1952) under the management of Tommy Todd, a stranger to the Town. This
"move and find me" game by the Post Office prompted a bit of advice from G.E Annesley:- "Put
the blasted thing on wheels and move it to the middle of the bloody Square where people can see
it"! And that is exactly where it did move, in 1959 - to the Upper Square.
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Hugo King
After Ryan's death, Alfie Colgan and his wife, Marie, both Dentists, occupied the dwelling on
the Avenue which had belong to Ryan. Here they worked at their profession until they both
retired about 1982, and moved to Ballynahinch, the home town of Alfie's father. Alfie's father
was also a dentist, who attended the Upper Square one day per week in the 1940's.
The whole empty corner block was bought, in 1985, by 'Hugo' King, the draper next door, and he
gave the place a new identity by extending his own shop. The dwelling in the Avenue was made
into a Cafe and rented to Damien Lavery, whose parents own 'Woodlodge' Old People's Home.
The name of the Cafe, opened in 1986, is 'Tree Beards'. Damien specialises in sign writing on
motor vehicles and shop fronts and seems to be artistically gifted. Hugo King inherited his
drapery on the death of his father, Hugh, in 1961. Hugh King, Sen., served his time in
McCrackens and bought Gardner and Blackwood's, about 1936. Gardner and Blackwood's, the
building between McCammon's and the Post Office, were one of the leading Ladies and Gents
Tailors and Outfitters in the Town in the 1900's, being completely up-to-date with the fashions of
that period. When Gardner died 'Gordie' Blackwood, carried on the business until he retired in
1935.
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In the 1970's, fishing in the lake was a great pastime for a lot of local men. The lake was
periodically stocked after the Department of Agriculture took over in 1960. Many an enjoyable
hour was spent with Tony McAllister and his stories. Tony was a Forester in the Demesne and
loved fishing. He had a Golden Labrador Dog called 'Mick' - his best friend and star of all his
tales. It is a fact, if a Fisherman's float flew off when casting, Mick would swim out and bring it
back to the owner, but Tony remembered the stormy day the lake was very rough and Mick ran
into difficulties. The dog had to burst every bubble on the lake until it found the one that
wouldn't burst - then it knew it had the right one. Such was the determination of that dog. To
further Mick's education, Tony brought the dog to a weekly Obedience Class in Ballynahinch,
which finished the term with a prize-giving exam. According to Tony, at this event, Mick could
be seen to be highly embarrassed parading around with all the fancy little poodles, though he did
the best he could. While the Judges
Tony McAlister with his greatest achievement. When he pulled this fish out the water level went
down a foot.
were summing-up, Tony sat on an empty mineral box in the corner of the hall with Mick at his
side looking extremely worried. As the name of a lady with her little Chihuahua was called for
third place, and a man with his Collie for second, the nervous Mick began to edge behind the
mineral box in an effort to get out of sight. But when the name Mick McAllister was announced
for first place, Tony said "You should have seen the look on the ol' bastard's face when he knew
he had it". Two weeks later, Tony was invited to bring Mick to Ballynahinch for an Obedience
Display at that Town's Civic Week, unfortunately, all efforts to get Mick to perform were in
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vain. He just went on strike and let Tony and the whole Town of Castlewellan down. Tony died
in 1980 and the fishing in the lake has not been the same since.
The Group of Men responsible for restarting the Horse Show.
Left to Right: Wallace Shaw, The Furniture Man; Charlie McCrum,
Newcastle, Home Bakery; John Kennedy, Farmer from dough; Alfie Colgan, Dentist;
Paddy Kelly, The Town's Blacksmith; Harry Caruth, Teacher and Grocer,
who had entered a wooden lorry (when a child) in the infancy of the show in the 30's,
and finally Jose McComiskey the R.U.C. Sergeant in Castlewellan at that time. 1968.
The Castlewellan Agricultural Show first started in 1928, being held in the Demesne and always
in the Month of July. In the peak year, 1930, there were thousands of exhibits as well as the
entries. The first prize for all classes of horses and cattle, was, £1, second, 15 shillings and third
10 shillings. A special prize for sheep was a tin of Sheep Dip. Every class and breed of fowl and
farm animal was to be seen on that day. The Handicraft and Art entries were so large, and mostly
from the Town that it took fifty women and a few men to judge that lot. In the Wildflower
Section more young boys than anyone else were competitors. The prizes for those entries, first 5
shillings, second 3 shillings and third 2 shillings. All the Hardware Stores in the Town sold every
type of horse drawn farm machinery at that time and had it all on display at the show. There were
also wooden hen house, huts of all shapes and sizes, and the running noise of the variety of
stationary engines showing their potential, kept the thousands of visitors busy for the whole day.
The Show was discontinued at the start of the War in 1939 and in 1968 was restarted as a Horse
Show only. It is still little more than a horse show today. (see photo).
All those men are horse lovers, but this was unknown to a stout little man who spoke with an
Italian accent and drifted into Castlewellan about 1970. He said he came from Armagh, and with
his wife, set up swing boats beside the Corncrane. It was Autumn time and one Thursday in a
deserted Town, this wee man called at Mullen's Garage for a gallon of petrol for his lighting
generator. There was a bitter wind blowing, strong enough to hurl a large bush up the street.
With shivering voice this stranger remarked "This is the greatest one horse... " and halted, for, at
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that second, McComiskey walked round the hotel corner with a horse in each hand. "Jeany" cried
the man ".... two horse town I was ever in ". This couldn't be right, because Wallace Shaw, Alfie
Colgan and Harry Caruth all had horses and that added up to more than two. Obviously business
wasn't too good with the Armagh Italian and only lets one see how far the kids of today have
advanced in interest beyond the swing boat.
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During the 1940 War, life was very quiet in Castlewellan. There wasn't much work and what
little there was, was in the Army Camps surrounding the Town. Most of the Building Trade men
travelled to Belfast and this meant getting up at 5.00 a.m., riding a bicycle to Newcastle to catch
a train leaving for Belfast at 6.00 a.m. Those trains were packed with about fifteen hundred
people each trip, and the weekly return fare was 12 / 6 or 65p. After arriving home again (about
7.30 p.m.), some locals would stroll up the Street and on one of those occasions a few of them
were stopped by an Army Officer who told them there was a show for the troops in the Market
House and if they wished to attend to just walk right in. This was a real God send and the offer
was immediately accepted. On entering the Market House the first thing observed was about a
dozen large murals painted on the walls in brilliant colours and most likely by some art student
drafted into the Army. Many a thought has been given to this man and what happened to him
later. Only one word could describe that Show, fantastic. It was presented by E.N.S.A. an
organisation to entertain troops overseas and was performed by the very top stage personalities
from England and America. If the Market House could speak it would surely boast about that
night as well as the Conservation Award it won in 1980.
This large building, known as the Court House, stands in the Upper Square facing the entrance to
the Annesley Estate and a bench mark at the door shows it to be on the same level as the Market
House in Rathfriland. This building was owned by the Annesleys.
The Market House today.
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The top floor could have been rented for any type of entertainment or function for ten shillings
per night. Friday was the most usual night for dancing, with an entrance fee of one or two
shillings a head. To overcome the expense of buying new shoes for dances young girls would get
the old ones spray painted, by the local Garage Man, to the colour of their choice for any
particular night. This very old building was once the Court House and a Dole Office, and in 1979
the lower part, previously used as a store, was converted into a Public Library and is kept up to
date with literature.
Under a very large veranda at the rear of the Market House the Farmers gathered every Monday
to sell eggs. The main buyer was a tiny man, thought to be from Banbridge and known to
everyone by nothing else but 'Wee Tommy the Egg Man'. Government Regulations later changed
this type of open trading in eggs. The veranda was then removed and a massive high walled
cattle Mart, was built by Seamus Fitzpatrick in the early 1960's for a local group. This auction
Mart functioned well for a good few years, but, was also removed when the Squares were
surfaced and laid out. The remains of the Mart is now a little seated park. Another permanent
fixture on the Market House steps in the 1940's was 'The Clock McAlinden' from Rathfriland.
The 'Clock' always stood there with his box of herrings, and, "Herrons Alive"! Could be heard all
over the Town. He disappeared some years ago and must be presumed dead.
About 1928 Show No 1 properly named a Menagerie, had a tent which covered the greater part
of the Upper Square. Inside was a complete circle of cages which housed a wide range of foreign
animals even sea lions in special water wagons. There were two performances each day with the
artists doing stunts with various animals. This was preceded by a great procession of glamour
and music through the Town to lure people to the tent, but there was no need, because at that
time there was enough support to pack this Show for a full week. The Entrance Fee 6 pence or 2
-1/2p.
In the Tower in the Annesley Grange Yard hung a large bell, rung when the Farm Hands were to
start or finish work. As the bell was unused for some time it was presented to the Rev. Warren by
Mr. Annesley, in the early 1970's, for his Church on the Rock in Newcastle. The Rev. Warren
previously lived in Castlewellan and was Minister in St. Paul's Church of Ireland in the Town.
Patsy Mullen made the iron frame to hold the bell and when collecting this the Rev. Warren
remarked "Every time I will hear the bell ring I will pray for you and think of all the work you
have done for us". Patsy appreciated this but felt a little guilty for the small part he played in the
removal of one of Castlewellan's ancient relics. St. Paul's Church was built in 1853 of
Backaderry Granite at a cost of £7,500.00 three quarters of which was paid by the Annesley
Estate and an Endowment of £100 per year left for the services of a Clergyman. At the present
time, the needs of the Church of Ireland community are being ministered to by the Rev. R.F.
Greer.
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The Empty Bell Tower in the Grange yard.
At the beginning of the Century there was a group of small houses in the Grange Yard for the
workers, but, almost all of those have disappeared now and made into Forestry Offices. The last
known resident in the Yard was Phil Harrison, a Forestry Employee. He and his family moved
out in 1981.
St. Paul's C.O.I. Church in Castlewellan.
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Castlewellan In Spired
Of all the songs that were ever sung
And poems that were written down
No reference there was ever made
To Castlewellan town.
So neat, so still as no doubt it will
For a thousand years or more
And all the while after long weary mile
There's that ever open door.
Two beautiful spires stand a half mile apart
And in between a wee village serene
From each spire tolls a bell
Which both clearly spell
This is real and not just a dream.
On the Market House Tower a clock tells the hour
Not the time yet to come or has been
For each separate day
Just makes its own way
And tomorrow if it comes well it comes.
The moon shines so bright
Way out there in space
And the people all swear there's a smile on its face
'Cos someone once told them from out there can be seen
The beautiful spires with the village between.
In the County of Down
Lies this quaint little town
And it's said that right from the starts
Its trees its squares
With traditional fairs
Were put there to capture the heart.
P. Mullen
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'The Red Heart' pub stood on the corner of Castle Avenue; the Proprietor, Hugh John (Scotty)
Herron. This place, with adjoining small shop, faced onto the Main Street and was in operation
since the 1900's. A long yard extended from the rear of the pub to Claremont Avenue and was
entered through an archway about half way along an equally long two-storey building on the
Avenue side. An office inside the archway used as a reading room, was for the convenience of
the public and free of any charge to anyone. The library is thought to have been personally
funded and run by Willie Cusack, the Saddler. Another section of this building was used in the
1940's and '50's, as a Motor Repair Garage, by Paddy Fegan. Scotty Herron had a good steady
custom during his lifetime and once had an agency for sheep's wool. His initial experience in this
business was so poor. He couldn't understand why all his pleas for wool at Christmas bore no
fruit. When Hugh J. retired, one of his sons, Ned, took control of the pub while another, Walter
(Watty), opened a Greengrocer's in the adjoining part, about 1945. Ned Herron sold the place to
Paddy Garrett, in or around 1964. Paddy ran the Red Heart till the late 1970's/early '80's, when
he in turn sold to a Belfast man, Jim Ross.
The New Shop on the Corner is the spot where the "Red Heart" Pub stood. The Archway at the
extreme left is the present location of the pub which is now called the "Forest Park Inn.
Shortly after that, the pub was demolished and business moved into premises in the yard, using
the archway as a front entrance. Jim Ross remained there for about three years and left
Castlewellan, having sold to David Armstrong, a son of the local draper. Armstrong soon got
tired of the spirit trade and, within a year or so, had got a buyer and handed over to John Smyth
from the Crescent. John also got tired to this type of work and sold to John Polson, from
Dundrine. Above the archway leading to the pub is now the more modern name, 'The Forest Park
Inn'.
Just round the corner on the Avenue and, seemingly, part of Herron's property, stood a large two
storey house, used as a surgery during the 1910/ 1930 period, by the tenant, Dr. Hillyard. From
that time, until 1984, it was a private dwelling and, in that same year, was converted to a shop for
the sale of wallpaper and paint. This is owned by Jennings' (no relation to the people of the same
name from Bunker's Hill). To see such businesses fronting onto Castle Avenue in 1986, is a sign
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of changing times, as this was prohibited in earlier days by the Annesleys. The name of this shop
is 'The Decor Centre'. At one time, Wallace Shaw had lived there and carried out upholstery
repairs on the premises.
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Henry McCracken came from Benraw, opened a drapers and footwear's early in the Century and,
by 1928, had sold to Gibson Bros. He then moved into the large clothing store down the Street,
known as 'Oak Hall', previously owned by John and Bertie Stewart, both of whom were retiring.
When the Northern Ireland Electricity Board was taking over in 1932, Henry would not accept
their terms and installed a plant to make his own light. When he died, in 1934, his brother James
took over the whole business including the lighting equipment, and ran one of the largest
outfitting shops in the area. On the death of James, in 1960, the whole lot closed down and, after
lying empty for a few years, it was bought by Davey Prentice of "The Motor People", from
Portadown. Davy completely demolished the entire place and built a large showroom for the sale
of cars. This business was a non starter in Castlewellan and, after another few years, Prentice
moved out to let Rafferty Motors, from Warrenpoint, try their luck. However, they also found
Castlewellan the wrong place to sell cars and pulled out as well. This place was then stocked
with freezers and fridges for sale but, again, unsuccessfully.
"M.K.L. Meats" the former site of the "Oak Hall."
It was later occupied by a furniture firms, who also found it impossible to sell this line of goods,
and bid goodbye to the Town within months. In 1983, a Downpatrick man, Lavery, opened a
Meat for the Freezer Centre, and seems to be doing a bit better. He trades under the name
'M.K.L. Meats'. Hugh Savage served his time in McElroy Bros. and in partnership with a Mr.
Beades, bought King's, Mineral Water Manufacturers in Castlewellan about the 1910's. Hugh
soon owned the lot and had one of the Town's leading Grocery Shops, as well as the Pub.
During the 1930-40 period, most people bought flour by the ten stone, in white calico sacks, so
that they later had the material to make bed sheets. Hugh had to make sure those sacks were
flawless; otherwise they would
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King's the people who built Savage's before the turn of the century.
The "Oak Hall" with sunshade extended.
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"The Allied Irish Bank" or the "Provincial" as it was known was part of King's Mineral Water Co.
next door. It was first opened in 1925 under the management of Mr. Ludlow and the present
manager is Mr. Chew.
When Hugh Savage died in 1953, the Grocery was closed and the pub extended, taking in the
shop area for a lounge. This business has been run since by Pat, the eldest son, who has met
some rare old boys at the bar, and none more so than Sam Lewis, from Annsborough, who
dandered around the Town having a yarn with everyone. He boasted he was a great cricketer,
engineer and footballer. Once, when speaking to Pat, he recalled playing in a football final.
According to Sam, when he was jumping to head a ball, he discovered he wasn't high enough, so
he just went on up another bit and nodded the ball into the net. He blamed constant heading in
mucky conditions for his baldness. There are arts in football seldom used or seen since Sam died
about 1970.
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Robert Armstrong outside his little shop, early 1930's.
On the July Fair Day, in 1930, there appeared a new name above the door of the small drapers
shop which had been occupied since the start of the Century by Miss M. Roonery. It was that of
Armstrong. Robert John came from Legananny and had just finished his apprenticeship to the
outfitting business in Sam Porter's, further up the street. Robert had bought Rooney's and opened
on his own account. He did a steady trade till the middle 1960's, and then extended his business
by buying the adjacent Cusack property, after that family had all passed away. He combined both
places into one premises, providing more space, with two large display windows. Robert retired
in 1980 and about 1985, rented the place to Maurice Fitzmaurice, a Pharmacist, to open a
Chemist Shop. This man also owns the Supermarket on the Main Street.
The small shop beside Maginn's pub was the place to go for all saddlery and leather repairs,
which were carried out by Willie and Bob Cusack, from the early 1900's. The personalities of
those two brothers was as different as day is to night. Willie was gentle and almost too quiet,
while Bob really enjoyed life. About 1920, Bob quit the saddlery and started movie pictures in
the Market House. Those were the silent film days and someone played an old tinny-sounding
piano throughout the show.
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This is the picture of a piece of Horse-Head-gear, it looks like a blind and belongs to Sam Duggan
from the Ban Road. The two brass ornamentations
are clearly engraved with the name T. Cusack, Saddler, Castlewellan. T. was probably Willie's
father leaving the time of manufacture of this blind about the beginning of the century.
The operator at that time was Billy McElroy, from Annsborough, who actually hand cranked the
machine for the full two hours. When 'Lil', as he was known, got tired, it was easy to understand
why they were commonly called "Flicks".
Bob Cusack was a small broad-shouldered man and, when dressed in his Crombie coat, glittering
brown brogue shoes with the soles protruding about an inch round the uppers and the white kid
gloves swinging from one hand, he was perfection itself.
Bob later opened a cinema in Newcastle and if he spotted a Castlewellan man in the queue, he
would call to the cashier -- "The Country Cousin"! pointing to the man, which meant the fellow
was to be admitted free. When an old lady drew Bob's attention to the rats running through the
Picture House, he laughed, saying "Do you mean to tell me Old Gertrude is still alive"? After a
few drinks one day, the police found him asleep in his car and, when asked for his name he
replied 'Whitehall 1212", and that was what he was known as in Castlewellan till the day he died
-- "Whitehall 1212". Bob Cusack departed this life in 1954 and his brother Willie in 1959.
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Castlewellan had a man who was known the length and breadth of Ireland and if anyone wanted
a horse in the 1910-1940 period then John Maginn w the man. He had horses all shades and sizes
- some traffic shy and some work shy. John had a Pub at the lower end of the Town beside what
is known the Town Dam. At the rear he had his stables as well as a bottling plant for making all
flavours of minerals. John was also a Spirit Wholesaler and his delivery vans were to be seen on
most roads. His main man at that time was a nephew Con Maginn who later moved and took
over the Donard Pub in Newcastle. It was an education to see those men prepare horses for sale.
Paddy Kelly the Blacksmith would dress up their feet and fit second hand shoes, called
"Removes", at four shillings for the set of four. With feet painted and manes nicely plucked, they
were ready for the final inspection by the expert himself. John would then get an old newspaper,
light it and run this along the belly and down the legs of the horses removing all the shaggy old
hair in a flash. The next morning a string of Maginn's horses could be seen trotting down the
road all looking like two year olds and all heading for a Fair. When John Maginn retired in 1940
the business was bought by Jimmy Maginn, another nephew, who had served his time to the
Grocery in the Co Op. Jimmy then changed from horses to sheep. In 1974 he extended his
business by opening a large Lounge and in 1984 a Restaurant, run by one of
Maginn's, a place that speaks for itself.
The Maginn Family had already bought the two remaining shops at that end of the Street; one
had been a Newsagent and Confectionery owned since the early 1900s by two sisters Ursula and
Mary O'Higgins. The other by wee Paddy Burns the Butcher. Both those owners had retired.
About 1940 a Bread Baking Competition took place in Maginn's Pub. This was between Alfie
Gwinn, a man who lived a hermit type life at the top of Castlewellan Lake, and Tessie Maginn a
sister of John. Gwinn was constantly bragging about the soda bread he could bake, and a date
was fixed to allow him prove his superiority in this line of grub. Tessie's bread was light as a
feather but poor old Alfie's would not rise or cook at all. Everyone was baffled - not least Alfie
himself. However, there were a few who knew the reason for poor Alfie's misfortune - his flour
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had been laced with Alabaster. This was later admitted by Tessie who was disqualified and had
to put up drinks all round for the spectators.
A 1984 photo showing Jimmy Maginn, a Member of the Castlewellan 1933/34 Football Team
receiving a framed picture of that team, which won the County League, were County Champions
and won the Feis Seven-a-Side in that period. Jimmy was a dedicated player with many trophies to
his credit. The presenter is Dan Rooney a local teacher with a lifelong history of G.A.A. Foorball
behind him.
MOURNE OBSERVER PHOTO: The meeting of old friends. Paddy Boden is on the left.
There was a third horse dealer in the Town from the 1940s but this man didn't own any stables
just kept his horses in the surrounding fields. He came from Drumee and was called Paddy
Boden. In later years Paddy entered the Second Hand Car Trade as well and his business is
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ticking over in 1986. He always had an eye for a horse and was often asked to vet one for a
potential buyer. One day he accompanied Paddy Kelly the Blacksmith and Patsy Mullen the
Garage Man to view a pony Patsy fancied and eventually bought and brought home. The
following day Mullen's old friend Tony McAllister called to see the new arrival and after a close
inspection he remarked "It's a dead ringer for the one I had, that bate the bus to Belfast every
morning", so there must be something special about Paddy Boden's eye. Within the last year
Paddy Boden bought the yard and stables behind what was always known as "Bruces". This was
on the Dundrine Corner opposite the old Gas Works that once supplied the Town. The main
Bruce Dwelling had recently been made into an Old People's Home owned by McGrady from
Drumaroad.
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Most people are well acquainted with the narrow street which runs the full length of the Town,
behind the main buildings. It starts at the Chestnut Inn and emerges through a sharp bend onto
the Main Street near the Orange Hall. While passing this entry, the ring of the Smithy is a
reminder of the old forge and all the different businesses which have come and gone in this back
way, called Mary Street.
The Smithy, the first on the left, was owned in the '20s, by Alex 'Pam' Rodgers, who lived in the
little house at the corner of the Street in front of the Smithy. One of his sons, James Jun., opened
a record shop in this little dwelling house but closed about 1940, to drive a U.T.A. bus. This
small shop, beside the Gospel Hall, is still empty.
The Blacksmith shop was then bought by a man McGarvey, who, after working there for six
years, sold to Paddy, John and Peter Kelly, in 1947. As the years passed, Paddy bought out John
and then Peter, and then worked on his own account till he retired in 1980. The forge was always
a great spot to spend an hour, especially on a wet day when people would gather to fill their
shoes with hot ashes to help dry them out and warm themselves up. On entering the door for
a~.1iet chat, a visitor was immediately requested to crank one of those hand-operated flexible
drive clipping machines which never seemed to cut. When the poor fellow was exhausted, the
Blacksmith handed him a 'touch and called someone else to turn the machine. The touch was a
short pole with a rope loop at one end. The loop was slipped over the upper lip of the horse and
twisted till it really hurt him, and was supposed to keep him amused while his hair was half cut
and half plucked' The operation often took hours, with tempers frayed on both sides, and one end
of the business
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the Smith dreaded. On the May Fair mornings, the strong men from Belfast would call into the
Forge and collect horse shoes, which they kept bending in the vice till they would hardly hold
together and would then be seen later in the day, bursting veins, ripping those shoes in front of a
crowd of wide eyed spectators.
The poor old blacksmith gets it rough but in spite of all the heartbreaking work, there is one
thing he never does - drive nails on Good Friday.
Paddy Kelly died in 1985, and the Forge is now run by his son, Anthony, who gained a lot of
experience working in the Carragh Horse Racing Stables.
Prior to and throughout the 1930s, the May and November Fairs were known as the 'Hiring
Fairs'. Some farmers with a large family of adult sons could ill afford to support them on a small
farm and were obliged to let some of them hire themselves to another farmer who needed help.
The wages were about £6.00 for six months, plus food and board, which was in an outhouse with
very few facilities. Those two fair days were also the time to buy or sell horses and the Lower
Square was the place to view the animals for sale, at prices to suit every pocket. Peter King, the
Care owner, fell in with a man looking for a horse to do a turn, and Peter had just the one. After
the nag had gone through all the manual tests and all the questions had been asked and answered,
a deal was struck for thirty shillings. This was about the cheapest class of horse; a good working
one from a reputable dealer with a guarantee for a week or two would have cost up to forty
pounds.
Working with horses was a dicey business, as some would work like a Trojan for one man and
do absolutely nothing for another. Francy Murray, from the Corncrane Square, was a bread
server between the 1940s and '60s, who had experience of this type of horse behaviour. He
worked for Hughes' Bakery, having the bread sent from Belfast by train and later by road. One
morning, a lorry driver passed a remark that the beautiful horse Francy had been issued with a
couple of days earlier, was a real rascal and would wreck all before it. Being fore warned, Francy
was ready for this one and, sure enough, one evening in Kilcoo, the horse took off and headed
for the Town. Having been in this situation before, Francy gave the horse its head till it tried to
turn into Claremont Avenue, where it was kept. A good whack with a whip sent the horse
straight through the Town at speed, making people think Francy had gone daft. This battle
between man and horse continued down Mill Hill, through Annsborough and up Ballybannon.
By the time the halfway mark was reached on the hill, horse and man had had enough. Francy
wiped the foam from the horse and, with a few pats on the head, was then master of this animal.
Sometimes things didn't work out just as well for other people, like Barney and Hugh Jennings,
who bought a pony in the Fair and thought they would try it out the following day. On hearing a
pony trotting down the Rathfriland Road, a man who lived at Seaview, a quarter of a mile from
the Town, stopped at his gate-way to see who was approaching and observed it was the
Jennings's, sitting in a little gig with their new pony in harness. This was a sight to behold; with
knees lifting till they were tapping on the bits, this pony was sure reaching for the road while the
proud men aboard were enjoying the ride to the full. When this delightful little rig had just
passed, the man at the gate, thinking "No artist could capture a sight like this in oils", turned to
walk up the path to his house, only to be brought back to earth by the sound of a crash. Racing
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out again, the man was shocked to see Barney and Hugh sitting on their backsides in the centre
of the road, surrounded by a heap of broken timber. Rushing to their assistance, as did Robert
Thompson, the Vet, who was walking up the road at the time, the man asked, "What the hell
happened?". Hugh replied, "The son of a bitch kicked us to ribbons". Why? - Only the pony
knew that and he was miles away by then! Although this was an hilarious situation, no one
laughed because this was a common occurrence and could happen to anybody.
The real excitement of the Fairs, was in the Upper and largest of the three Squares. The Town
came to life at the crack of dawn with Dan 0 Boyle, a local man, wheeling out the stalls for hire
at one shilling and sixpence per day, and which were stored in the lower part of the Market
House at that time. Under the Market House Clock there was a row of threepenny side-shows,
like the Woman's Head suspended on a cobweb. It was amazing to see the bright living eyes and
the smile on the face -- all suspended in mid air. Some said it was worked with mirrors and lights
but all the same it was good fun. There were the shooting galleries, the card sharps and the men
selling lotions to cure anything from bald heads to broken legs. To get a better view of the
proceedings, people could search through chests of the old-fashioned wire rimmed spectacles,
sold at sixpence a time. The sheer mass of colour from the thousands of Japanese paper
decorations, the hoards of balloons and the music from the gramophone stalls, must have had the
cows in a quandary as they stood for sale at the side of the Market House.
It was customary for the schools to close for the May Fair, and this gave the boys a chance to
make a few pence - herding cattle or holding horses while the owner gargled his throat, in one of
the Town's thirteen pubs. In the meadow, in the 1920s and 30s, there would have been
McGivern's large fun fair, with every conceivable type of entertainment, accompanied by the
great steam organ which could have been heard all over and kept the entire Town in a festive
spirit for weeks. If all this was of little interest to the man who admired pigs or sheep, then the
Corncrane Square was the place for him, for this was where those animals were bought and sold.
The May Fair brought the tinkers who parked along the roads to the Town. Some of them were
hard working people, like the Johnstons, in their beautiful little square horse-drawn caravans,
which were covered with very intricate woodcarvings and half doors, surrounded with brass
ornaments and lamps. Those people were true tinkers, who make all sizes of tins and cans and
sold them to the shops.
Castlewellan had a few strange visitors in its time, but none less welcome than those in 1955,
when the people in Mary Street heard a weird sound which seemed to get closer. Suddenly the
sky was filled with millions of honeybees. The daylight was almost blocked out and the noise of
the bees as they passed over, at little more than head height, was loud and terrifying. The
invaders gathered in a huge ball of bodies in a tree further up the Town and there was relief all
round when some bee keepers took the lot away.
Another strange sky visitor was a helicopter, which ferried provisions from the Town to farmers
in the mountainous areas of Slievaniskey, during the great snow fall, in 1966. Helicopters at that
time were something country folk had only heard about and it created much interest as it sat in
the Upper Square.
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To describe a wee man who lived in Mary Street would just be impossible, but one word came
close, a treasure. When people died, the bric a brac they left was often given to Jimmy
Bloomfield, for Jimmy had a donkey and cart to collect those types of goods, and usually around
Newcastle. On a Fair Day he had his pitch or stall on the street and hours could have been spent
searching through the books alone. It was on one of those searching expeditions a young fellow
came across 300 fourpenny Model Engineering Weeklys and being interested in models asked
Jimmy the price of the books. Knowing Jimmy always gave himself room for manoeuvre the
youth was not surprised to hear the old man wanted sixpence each, take or leave. Undeterred the
youth asked how much for the 300 and Jimmy replied sixpence each or a bob (one shilling) for
the lot. Another typical Bloomfield deal was clinched and the youth was delighted with his
purchase. Jimmy also worked as a Janitor and Doorman, in the Picture House, for Watty Herron.
On his death in the 1950's Castlewellan lost a grand old man and one of the most unique persons
to tread the Town streets.
Further along this narrow street was a Junkyard and owned by Dick McCabe, from Dundrine, in
the 1930's. This place must have been someone s pride at one time because it was surrounded by
a high wall and had large entrance gates about 6 foot high. An avenue led to a small house sitting
about 15 yards from the street. During the 1920's and 30's most people kept goats. To get milk
from those animals, there had to be kids and to get rid of the kids everybody sold them to Dick
McCabe for six pence. Dick had a market for the skins. It was the nippers who were sent on this
mission which was like sending them to their own execution. After squeezing through all the
scrap to reach the little house where Dick sat, the man hardly got time to get the Tanner out of
his pocket before it was grabbed and the nippers ran like blue blazes before the kids were killed.
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Wallace Shaw's Funeral Parlour beside Mary Hazlett's Hairdressers at the end of Main Street.
About the middle 1950's this place was bought by Wilfred Herron from Leitrim who demolished
the lot and built a huge shed to house heavy farm machinery which he contracted out to farmers
who needed help with their crop. Wilfe was another one of the Motorcycle Road Racing School
and at fifteen faked his date of birth to be eligible to compete in Championship Racing. At one
stage he cut a Ford Racing Car engine in two and fitted one half to his motorbike and although
he clocked 140 mph it was still not competitive enough so he packed the lot up and quit racing at
the age of forty. Wilfe Herron sold his Castlewellan property in 1968 to Wallace Shaw a local
Funeral Undertaker who in addition sold and repaired furniture, as well as supplying and fitting
carpets. He commenced his career in a small shed which was used as a Boot and Shoe Repair
Workshop by Halls in the yard at the rear of their shop on the Main Street. Herron's large shed
was an ideal spot for Wallace so he moved there. In 1979 Wallace Shaw sold his premises to
Paddy Trainor and moved to open a Funeral Parlour next door to the Orange Hall. He was
always greatly interested in horses, taking part in all local shows and has many trophies to his
name. He is also a prominent figure in all Pony Parades for charity.
Wallace Shaw
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At the extreme end of the Town, on the other side of the exit from Mary Street, was a block of
four houses. The farthest one, now the Funeral Parlour, was in previous years occupied by Mrs.
McNeil and her son Willie, "Ma's Willie" as he was universally known. This was one man who
put a lot of life into the community. Next door was Mary Ann McCartan, who had a small
Confectionery Shop there for a lifetime and it closed on her death about the 1940's. That place is
now a Hairdressers, owned and run by Mary Hazlett, trading under 'Mary's Hair Fashions'.
Between Mary's and the shop situated on the corner of the back way, was another small dwelling
and the people who lived there were Latimers. Jim Latimer put a car on the road to sell fruit, but
soon fell foul of the McFaddens, in the 1930's, and had to quit. He then worked for the U.T.A. on
the Haulage side for that concern. When the Latimers moved from Castlewellan in the early
1940's, their house was bought by James Magill Sen. who worked as a Hardware Assistant in the
CoOp and as the same in the Supply Stores. Magills opened a Confectionery and Tobacconist,
and it was run by Mrs. Mary Ann Magill. They later bought the remaining building in that row
and together with the Latimers House, it comprises a modern Grocery and Confectionery. The
end shop taken over by Magills had previously been a Milliners owned by Miss Gracey who
made and sold her own hats for 30 years. On the death of James Magill Sen. and his wife, the
business was passed on to Jim Jun. the Manager of the U.T.A. Bus Depot in Newcastle, the
Castlewellan shop is run by his wife Betty.
Magill's at the lower end of the town.
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A 1902 Advert.
Below the Market House, on the right and almost at the end of the Town, stands a small place of
worship. The descriptive stone above the entrance is carved with the words "Primitive Wesleyan
Methodist Chapel built in 1869". Now, the Castlewellan Gospel Hall, it was once the property of
the Annesleys and is one of the Town's historical buildings.
Pat "Soady" O'Hare started his own business, towards the end of the last Century, in premises at
the low end of the Town facing John Maginns. He sold groceries, Delph, newspapers, and spirits
and also had a large showroom for the furniture he manufactured a1 the rear. When Pat died, his
son John and daughter Anna carried on for a few years and then sold to Peter Greenan the Grocer
in 1957. John O'Hare's main recreation was football and as a goalkeeper would play soccer on
Saturday and Gaelic on Sunday. At one time he played for Portadown United and Belfast Celtic
and eventually moved to live in the City. The Furniture Showroom was used as a Dole Office
from the late 1930's. It then moved up Town after which Greenan took over. Peter slowly ran
down the Furniture and Grocery business and concentrated on Drapery and the Pub. He also
closed down a Petrol Station out front which he had operated during the 1960/70 period. This
place was and is an agency for the Belfast Telegraph. Peter named his Pub the "Four Arches".
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Peter Greenan selling his wares from his V.W. Van about the 1960 period.
O'Hare's Shop as it is today
A lot of shops had life long occupants, but once they changed hands for the first time, there
seemed to be no end to the variety of traders who moved in and out, trying their luck. Such a
place was James Collins's, the centre of the block of three shops between Mooney Bros. and the
little Church. Collin's was a Hardware, Tobacconist, Stationers and known locally as the Beltie
Collins. On the retirement of Collins, Miss Gribben moved in from the shop next door (on the
upper side) and sold all the weekly comics and story books, such as the 'Rover', 'Hotspur',
'Filmfun' and a host of others as well as the usual daily papers. Toys were also stocked and
confectionery sat in boxes on the counter away from the loaded shelves. God help any youngster
who called and asked for something and put their hands on the counter anywhere near the
sweets! They got a sharp wallop across the knuckles with the nearest thing she could find, very
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often a large pair of scissors which always hung at her side. After entering a main single door at
the front the shop divided in two, with two doors one right, into Miss Gribbens and one left into
the other. In 1944 the upstairs was rented to Miss Maureen Breen from Kilcoo as a Hairdressers,
and later, Susan Armstrong, a sister of Robert the Draper, also had a Hair Salon in the same
place. Previous to this the upper floor was used as a Cafe by Mrs. Joe Guinness. On Miss
Gribben's death the main shop was taken over by Jack Hudsklns, from Maghera, for a Cycle
'Sales and Repairs' employing Pat O'Hare from the Circular Road. Pat had served his time in
McKelvey's Cycle Shop in the Town and had worked for a number of years in Skillens. Jack
Hudsklns ran the business for a year or two (around 1948) while being Manager of the
Downshire Store in the Town. In 1959 he sold the Cycle Business to Pat O'Hare who carried on
until 1969 and then closed. A few other men, including a son of Francy McCabe, from Dundrine,
tried a Fishing Tackle Shop but packed up after a short stay.
Next, in 1977 was Leo Murphy, from Leitrim, with Drapery but he also found the competition
too stiff and changed to a new modern type of business, renting out video tapes and accessories.
Leo moved out altogether in 1983. The Video Shop has since been kept open and run by Tom
McCann, a son of the Chemist in the Town, and seems to be doing a lot better under the new
management.
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John Foster with his newly stocked shelves, 1986.
Between the end of the last, and the beginning of this century, the shop and dwelling next in line
to Mooney Bros. on the Main Street was a confectionery, tobacconist and paper shop always
known as Miss Gribbens. In 1934 she moved next door and the place she vacated became private
for a number of years. It was then purchased by Sean King the Draper in the Town, who rented it
to John Foster to open a Green Grocery. After a few years in business, John bought the whole
property from King. On the morning in 1939 when John Foster first opened his doors, he had just
arrived home from Belfast with a car loads of goods. However, before he even reached his shop,
four men surrounded the car and bought most of his stock. They were Mick Lamb, the Manager
of Mooney's, Pat O'Hare, furniture, grocery and pub, along with John Maginn the Horse-dealer
and Publican across the road and a fourth man, Hugh Savage, the Grocer and Publican. This
gesture of goodwill passed unnoticed by the majority of the town people but is still vividly fresh
in the mind of John Foster. The small shop which adjoined, and was also part of Foster's, was
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tenanted by Annie Kirkpatrick, a Dundrine woman who started her business around the
beginning of the Second World War in 1939. She sold confectionery, groceries and tobacco, but
died suddenly in 1972. This little place showing nos. 30-32 has been used, since, as a dwelling
by John Foster.
The name 'Foster' rings a bell for Patsy Mullen, and he tells a true story about local strangers
who accidentally met and remained friends for life. During the War years when Patsy travelled
daily to Belfast to work at repairing bomb damaged houses, he met two Belfast men - carpenters
who were about 30 years old and had spent their previous working years in the Shipyard. There
wasn't a story, trick or near cut in the book that those two didn't know off by heart. One was
Foster; the other's name is now forgotten. However despite all the rubble and tragedy in Belfast,
the day was one long hilarious experience. After two years, Mullen decided to start working at
cars in Castlewellan and never forgot the day he parted with his friends. As the years passed, he
often thought of Foster, a dedicated cyclist who often rode from Belfast to Dublin and back in
one day. In 1980, almost 40 years later, Patsy, who was working at an old banger in his garage
was wondering why on earth he ever started to work at cars, looked up on hearing footsteps, and
saw an old man leaving his bike against the gable of the house. The very look of the back of this
man made him call out, "Foster" and sure enough it was him. There was little work done that
day, for, Foster had cycled through Ballynahinch, Downpatrick, Dundrum and Newcastle, before
he found his friend. The day went far too quickly and sadly Foster, then over 70 years old had to
cycle back to Belfast. When bidding each other, what was to be a last farewell, Patsy who was
amazed at Foster's health and agility, asked him for the secret. "Certainly"! said Foster. "Do you
remember how well fed me and me mate were - the lovely big thick, pure white, soft soda farls
with country butter and you with your old black war-time loaf and margarine? Well, the soda
farls were your mother's home baked bread - we swapped your lunch for ours every day for two
years and I must say, we could hardly get it down our throats for laughing at lunchtimes! I have
ridden about 75 miles today just to see that look on your face. Now I can die content". With that
he was astride his bike and was gone forever.
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The large corner, grocery, pub and wholesale spirit store was rebuilt by Mooney Bros. in 1900
and flourished under the management of Hugh Savage, Pat O'Hare and James Connolly. When
Mooneys dissolved in 1936 the man in charge at that time, James Connolly, carried on the
business employing as manager Mick Lamb; and as his travelling agent, Tom McAleenan who
was also Connolly's brother-in-law. When James Connolly died in 1956 the place closed for
years. About the late 1950's the bar only was rented by a family of three brothers, Duggans, from
Annsborough. This lasted a year or two and they gave up in the early 1960's. The whole place
lay empty till the mid 1970's before being bought by Malachy Magorrian who had plenty of
ideas as to how to turn it into money. He renovated the inside, repainted the outside, and opened
the bar under the name "The Pheasant Inn"; employing a manager to operate that end of the
business. The main building was turned into an amusement centre, and a lorry purchased to
commence a cut price milk delivery service from the rear stores. The pub proved a useless effort
so Malachy closed it and transferred the licence to the Oak Grill. The town was too small to
support an amusement centre so that closed as well. The people who were to supply him with
milk sold out and that also was a non starter. Malachy then converted the shop area into office
and for the last five years those have been rented by the Gateway Building Society.
On the Newcastle Road between the Presbyterian Church and the exit from the Football field
stands a raised terrace of two storey house. Behind the one nearest the field there is a large yard,
once the nerve centre of MacAleenans, the main building contractors in the area, between 1890
and 1923. MacAleenans, as the firm was known because of the large family participation, built
Mooney Bros. about the 1900's. As a temporary premises for Mooneys they erected a large shed
in the upper square thus giving that shop the name of the store and it was known as that for many
a year. When Mooneys was completed the mountain of stones left on the street created a problem
which was solved by "Big Jim The Boss MacAleenan" who used the lot to build the fourteen
houses, known as the New Row, for his work force. Although all the tenants of those little
houses had bought them outright by 1986 some were still owned by Tom McAleenan in the
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1970's. MacAleenan Builders stopped operating in 1923 on the completion of James McKenny's
corner pub and house - their last business venture.
The New Row shortly after it was built.
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If the little shops and pubs along this part of the upper square, could speak, they still would be
unable to recall the names of the people and businesses which passed under their roofs in the last
100 years. In the corner under the shadow of Mooney Bros. is a small shop and dwelling owned
for the past 20 years by Pat Murray the Garage Man. The shop was then a second hand clothes
department run by Susan McKay from Ballylough, and since her retirement has been the
Ardmore Insurance Company Office. Somewhere along here was a private bus stand,
remembered only as Edgars, who sold out to the U.T.A. in 1934. Going back till about 1930, this
was the shop to buy furniture. Sam Corken was the owner originally from Lisburn and related to
Corken who was at that time the owner of the-Old Palace Cinema in Newcastle. Prior to Corken
this place in the corner was the hide out of people who must have been the Al Capones of the
Fruit World, "The McFaddens". This family of brothers had two or three old open tourer cars to
collect and hawk their fruit around the country. They would have been to the market in Belfast
and home again in the morning before the Town's people were out of their beds. Nobody could
compete with their prices and woe betide any man who tried to start at the fruit business in their
territory. He would have been completely surrounded by the McFaddens who kept shouting and
lowering their prices till they were practically giving their goods away. Fruit, at that time, was
usually sold in dozens, and at the large sum of six pence but the customer benefited further from
the price war and often bought at 2 pence a dozen. The McFaddens faded from the scene about
the late 1930's and have been unheard of since.
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The Ardmore Insurance Office once the McFadden stronghold.
Between Pat Murray's and the wreck, was another small business premises. In early 1986 it was
a wool shop run by Jenny McBride and before that, the same, run by Miss Ford who lived in
Newcastle. This whole place had been bought from Wallace Shaw by Susan McCappan, a sister
of Robert Armstrong the draper. The large yard and shed across Mary Street had already been
sold to Paddy Trainor. Any one living during the 1920/30's would remember this place as the
residence of the famous greyhound trainer and barber 'Trix' Donnegan, and the place which
Stanley Foster and his wife Greta have now made into an old peoples home. Wallace Shaw had
purchased the lot from Wilfred Herron, the owner occupier during the 1950's. Up to the middle
of this century all the little places along this street were visited on market and fair days by
dentists, solicitors opticians and various other services, but as the local people became qualified
to cope with all those needs, the outsiders gradually disappeared. It is like a dream from the past,
that Harpers the painters lived in that vicinity. Willie Harper had two sons 'Shaw' and 'Davy' both
painters and stalwart players on Castlewellan 'Stars' Football Team about the early 1930's. Only
Davy is still around now and is living in Newcastle, often brightening a page on the local weekly
paper, The Mourne Observer, with his poems.
Francy Trainor became a Castlewellan man when he first left Belfast, sometime in the early
1940's. He lived in a house in lower Clarkhill and bought a small farm in Moneyscalp. He then
purchased the old station which had become empty on the closure of the railway a few years
earlier and moved into the station masters house. The last master to reside there was 'Mr. Barr.'
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Paddy Trainor in his yard. He works at trucks and traps. Is it a long lost friend he spies or an easier
pound perhaps, 1985?
The second of three sons also named Francy succeeded his father in their vehicle breaking
business and his business in the old station continues on a massive scale today. Paddy the eldest
moved up town to work at repairing lorries and vans, and is another member of the Castlewellan
group of pony trap owners always willing to give his time to raising funds for cancer research.
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At the centre of the row of buildings in the Upper Square between the Bookies and Mooney
Bros., there was a pub and dwelling known as "the Farmers Friend" and eighty-six years ago it
belonged to Frank Cunningham. Frank was the father of "Old Rosie", Jim Cunningham, a well
known man from the 1920's to the 1970's. Jim was a butcher by trade and delivered by flat van
and pony. He could be heard constantly shouting, "Get up there Rosie", hence the nickname.
Jim's sister married Charlie Darby, who came from the Kilcoo or The Square Area, and on the
death of Frank Cunningham in 1918, the couple moved into the pub and spent their lives there.
The Darbys had two daughters, Anna Marie and Cissie who opened a confectionery in a front
room about the 1930's. In 1946, Charlie Darby, then a widower, died and the business was
carried on by his daughters. In 1950 the entire premises had been sold to a coloured man, known
only, in the town as 'Silvo'. This man moved in and after a look round, renamed the pub, "the
Wreck". This wasn't the town for Silvo, so before he had the last of his bags unpacked, he was
gone again, having sold to James Herron.
The Featherbed Norton of the 1950's, 60's.
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Patsy Mullen astride his 305 Twin, 1963, Honda.
James a Leitrim (Co. Down) man, bought the place in the Upper Square always known as
Charlie Darby's. He thought he would help the look of the old pub by cutting out all the small
panes in the window and replacing them with one large one. On completion of this, his ground
rent was immediately raised by another five pounds per year. He had unknowingly broken some
Annesley Estate rule relating to property in Castlewellan. James was a travelling salesman for his
brother 'Scott', a road contractor and owner of a lime quarry as well. They sold and spread this
product all over the country for the fertilization of land. James Herron was a well known Motor
Cycle Road Racer in the 1940/50's and after a crash in the Isle of Man TT. had a smashed up
helmet to show how near he was to being the late James Herron. His favourite bike was the
Featherbed Norton, the racing machine of that period. In 1963 the Japanese arrived with a new
bike called Honda. This had a new design in engines and completely changed motor cycle racing
by winning all before them. One of those 1963 type Hondas is still in the possession of Patsy
Mullen. At this stage Herron gave up the road and became one of the leading figures in starting
the grass track motor cycle racing in Castlewellan and Newcastle. He was a vigorous competitor
in all events and retired with a large collection of trophies. James Herron sold his Castlewellan
business about 1971 and moved to the Mourne area.
"The Wreck" after a complete overhaul in the late 1970's.
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The wreck had so many short-time tenants from, Darby's time to the present man (eight in all),
that the information on most of them is scant. One man shortly after Herron was McCarron. This
outsider was supposed to have bought "the Wreck" plus the small house which was once the
home of Nurse Dudson as well as a Postman, 'Dick McAnallen', he also bought the adjoining
Barbers Shop which had operated by Dan McCartan who died a few years earlier, in 1967. Those
two places were bought by McCarron from the owner Albert Priestly. In the early 1970's this pub
was sold again and the new publican was Eamon Duggan, a man who had been reared in
Ballymaginthy near Leitrim. He had worked in England and returned to try and make his fortune
in the town. Sometime about the late 1970's the place was completely renovated and Duggan
parted company once again. The new man was Watt, and in the early 1980's one end of the
building was converted and rented to Chinese to give Castlewellan it's first Chinese carry-out
named 'Eastern Light'. The Pub itself and of no surprise to the locals, has been under new
management since the middle of 1986. Seamus Loughrin is the Landlord now and the Pub is
called The Well-Come Inn".
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In the corner beside the Bookies, Joe Lynch had a Pub, another one of the usual old Bar and
Snug style places. Like a lot of other Publicans in the Town he let a front room of the dwelling as
a shop and, in this case to Patrick ("Pongo") Mageean from the Circular Road for use as a
Barbers. Pongo worked there most of his life and was helped in his later years by a nephew
Edward O'Hare. Pongo, one of the Town's famous characters was in serious trouble during the
war and was nearly lynched by the American solders who were billeted around the nearby
countryside and soon got to know the Barber. Money wasn't scarce with the Yanks, and Pongo
was able to get them any kind of drink on the black market but for some reason or other it all
tasted like Poteen. The trouble for Pongo blew up one day when some Yanks, always spotless
and over particular about their health and appearance, were getting their usual hair trim and
shampoo, and through a mountain of foam discovered that Pongo's large bottle of shampoo was
full of Persil washing soap. The poor Barber never really recovered from the following
experience which became his favourite story till he died in 1973. When Joe Lynch retired the
place was bought by James McCrickard from Kilcoo who continued to run the Pub until about
the early 1950s, when he sold it to Hugh McGreevy, a local Barman.
Hugh operated the Bar while his sister Cassie opened and ran a Confectionery in the empty
Barber's Shop. Most little Pubs have their secrets, and this one, the most guarded secret in
Castlewellan - The night of the shooting of Tommy ("Saturday") McEvoy. He was known as
Saturday because of all the work he did for the locals who promised to pay him on Saturday but
forgot to say which Saturday. Information about the shooting is somewhat vague but Hugh
McGreevy recalls the night well. It was bitterly cold and a few men were having a quiet drink in
his Bar about two hours after closing time and Hugh had just pulled the cork from a bottle of
Guinness and placed the bottle in front of Tommy McEvoy. At that moment there was a
thumping on the door, the cops. Hugh who already had arranged an escape route through the rear
door grabbed a cork and hammered it into Tommy's bottle with his fist and threw it to Tommy
who shoved it up his coat and into his hip pocket. Then all raced out the back door to cross a
yard and out another doorway to freedom. It was while crossing this yard everybody heard the
bang as Tommy fell crying "They've shot me". Hugh McGreevy got a torch light and found
McEvoy lying on his face looking for a Priest, as he felt the blood running down his body. With
the help of another man, Hugh McGreevy gently rolled up the overcoat then the pullover and
with shock on their faces one said to the other "That’s not blood it's Porter".
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Joe Lynch's Pub on the left. The Bookies centre and McCartans Grocery to the right.
The cork had shot out of the bottle and blasted the contents up Tommy's shirt. It wasn't long
before he was on his feet and onto the back way. By this time the cops had moved on thinking all
was well within. Hugh McGreevy retired in 1979 and the Pub is now owned and run by Barney
Cowan from the Banbridge Road. The little adjoining shop is a Hairdressers operated by
Barney's wife, Carol, trading under the name 'Snipper Scene'. This place underwent a face lift a
few years ago and would hardly be recognised as the Pub owned by Paddy Marner at the
beginning of this century.
Castlewellan's only legal Bookies Shop has always been situated in the building abutting
Morrisons and Joe Lynchs. This was a double compartment store and at one time part was a
Saddler's Run by the Saddler McLean. He had a brother living in Burrenreagh and was likely a
local man. The Saddler left there and moved down town to McAnultys into a small part which
had previously been a Confectionery. The next man into the empty half of the Bookies was
Paddy King from the Circular Road, who tried his luck with second hand clothes, but again was
a short timer. The place was then used as the Soccer Football Club Room and around the mid 30s
was a Shooting Gallery. At a shooting final one night, after hours of competition, a local youth
narrowly defeated Tommy Steele the Butcher who just missed a magnificent trophy, a beautiful
large brown useless two penny coconut. This whole place was owned by Pat McEvoy, a
Scotsman who ran the Bookies with the assistance of his sister Nora. It is not known if they lived
there, but in later years they lived on the Newcastle Road in one of the terraced houses. When
Pat died it remained a Bookies, bought by a member of the McAleevy Group, from Belfast.
Those people reroofed the building and was one of the fastest jobs ever carried out in the Town,
at the very most two days. The pickings in Castlewellan must not have come up to expectations,
for a new owner was soon in occupation, Mickey Sawey, from Newcastle, who runs a string of
Bookie Shops and he is still in the Town to date.
The place on the corner of the Circular Road, at the turn of the century, was a Grocery under the
name McCartan. Those people originally came from Maghermayo. Their only daughter, Rosena,
married Martin Morrison, a Sergeant in the RLC. stationed in Castlewellan about 1916/20. The
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shop was kept open until the 20s and then closed altogether. Martin had already retired from the
Force and gave his services as Secretary to the newly formed Agricultural Show Committee.
About the beginning of 1953, Gerry Mullen, a local man, started an electrical appliance store in
Morrison's empty shop, but demand for those goods was not great enough to support a shop, so
Gerry closed within a few years. At the rear of Morrisons, Stanley Foster, the eldest son of John
the Green Grocer, bought three small houses. One had been the residence of Jimmy Bloomfield.
Those three places were knocked into one and made into a dwelling and shop. Stanley opened
this Tuck Shop in 1970 and by the 80s had closed again. He then started cutting up wood and
supplying bundles of firelighters to shops, for sale. About the same time he built garages in the
garden at the rear of his fathers and rented those to the G.P.O. for their vans. In 1986 Stanley
made another move, he bought property in the Upper Square and turned it into an Old People's
Home.
If anyone went hungry in Castlewellan, it surely was no fault of Johnny Goslyn. Johnny had a
small General Store and Cafe in Millhill in 1930 and when those premises were due for
demolition he moved up town to a shop owned by "Scotty"; Hugh John Herron. Then in 1945
Scotty's son "Watty" decided to open a fruit and vegetable business in that place so Johnny had
to move out. For the next three years he was running his Cafe in an upper room in Miss
Gribben's shop across the street. In 1949 he was on the move again this time to little corner
building belonging to Jim Rodgers and later lived in the Manor Crane next door. In 1960 he was
in Morrisons Corner Shop in the Upper Square still selling fish and chips, tea and coffee. He was
a prominent member of the local Draught Team which won many trophies and prizes - all in his
corner Cafe. Another man who lived in the Manor Crane was Alex Rodgers the Blacksmith.
In Mary Street, behind the Bookies, a row of small houses was the spot, in the 1920s, 30s, to
meet the gems of the Town oddities. "Gilly Toner", who although nearly blind and often said
"Sorry Constable" after walking into the sign post at the Newcastle Road corner on the Main
Street, was one of the Town sheiks on the dance floor.
CASTLEWELLAN DRAUGHT TEAM, 1950 TO 1966.
Also included are some visitors
Back Row: Tommy Flemming, Newcastle; Mick Murphy, Gerards Pass;
Ben Rogan, Kilcoo; Joe Hazard, Dundrum; John Murray, Castlewellan Pub; Peter Murray,
Hilltown; Next is Unknown; Mervin Somerville, Dunmore;
Pat Murray, Garage Castlewellan; Edmund Murray, Castlewellan.
Front Row: John Davis, Banbridge; Willie Patterson, Dromore; Eddie Murray, Castlewellan
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Garage; Johnny Goslyn, Castlewellan Cafe; Jimmy McGrady, Clarkhill; Willie Piper, Dundrine; B.
Busby, Belfast.
There was an old wino known only as Jimmy Blowhard. Then there was Paddy Stickleg; an old
man with a peg leg who gathered jam pots and beer bottles from door to door and paid for them
with coloured advertising cards such as the gollywog on the jam jar and the sailor's head on
Players cigarette packets, given to him by the local shop keepers. Another character, in his own
way, was Owen McCabe also a Mary Street dweller, he spent his life arguing at the old school
corner and talking about the work he would have done had he been a well man.
Any American visiting Castlewellan today must be astounded by the beautiful bungalows around
the Town and the type of houses built in the Estates. The 'Yank', instead of sending money and
clothes to poor relations at home would be more inclined to think the shoe is now on the other
foot. It is difficult to visualise how large families like the Barney McCartans and the Barney
Corrigans ever managed to exist in such small space.
Other people who resided in what was known as the Back way, were, Jimmy Hardy, Charlie
Wells, Paddy Kelly, The Blacksmith, Paddy Fegan (not the Electrician), Maggie Fitzpatrick,
FrankBurns, Stalk McEvoy and the three Gribbens. There are in living memory and God only
knows many before that. It is with no regret that the ruins of those days can be viewed by the
former occupants.
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Soccer Football had a tremendous following in the Town, right up until the war started, in 1939.
At one time, there were two local teams, The Stars and Arsenal, which meant there was a match
nearly every Saturday. The visiting team usually changed in their own bus at the meadow and the
home side in the little place at Morrison's - now the Bookie's Shop. On leaving there, the team
turned left for the meadow but stopped at a Confectionery and Tobacconist on the right. This
shop was owned by Cassie Cunningham and her mother, who were related to the Hauliers across
the street. This was where everyone stocked up with chewing gum before the match and
continued to do so till Cassie died, in 1973, her mother having died some year previously. The
little business was taken over by Valentines, in 1978. They sold groceries as well as the
confectionery but closed altogether, in 1984.
Further along the route, and also on the right, an Oil Depot was passed. It belonged to John Joe
Toner, from the New Row. The New Row was on the other side of the road and facing the
Depot. John Joe supplied oil to the shops, houses and fishing boats in Kilkeel and Ardglass. He
was in business for over twenty years, and died in 1972. In his later years, he was helped by his
two sons, Pat ("Kitter") and Gerard ("Squeak"), probably since 1959. In 1973, the business was
taken over for five years by Cawoods, from Belfast, employing Hugh Fitzpatrick from Kilcoo as
a lorry driver. Hugh eventually bought the lot in 1978, and sells heating oil for private and
commercial use.
In the first of the houses known as the New Row, on the Circular Road, boots and shoes were
repaired by Hugh ("Knocker") Donnegan, from about 1930, right up until he died in the 1970s.
This place has been a private house since then.
Half way down the Row was a Taxi For Hire business, owned by Patrick McEvoy, from the
1900s to the 1930s. On his death, the taxi was taken over by "Stalk", his son, also called Patrick,
but this type of work wasn't too profitable after the war, so Stalk packed it up and finished his
working days driving an oil lorry for his brother-in-law, Joe Toner.
During the 1920s and early '30s, the last house on the Row was used as a Barber's. It was worked
by Willie Quinn, an ex-Navy man, lame from a wound in the leg, received during the 1914-18
War. Willie moved to live in a private house further along the Circular Road. The house he left
has not been used for business purposes to date.
In 1934, when the huge pipeline was being laid from the Silent Valley to Belfast, Willie Quinn's
eldest son, Jim, just leaving school about the age of fourteen, got a job as Nipper to the workers
on the line. After a short period of employment, he one day made a terrible mistake while
making the tea. He accidentally threw a can of petrol instead of oil onto the fire and was so badly
burned, he died a few weeks later.
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Gerard (Squeak) Toner, the oil man.
Gerard was fond of a game of football but more so of the nightly
reconstruction of the match, at the old school corner.
If you've won an argument with this man "Squeak" then, in this wee town you're quite
unique, he's always keen to join in the fray and for him to lose, that would be the day.
On reaching the meadow gate, one could see the Picture House just across the road, with posters
on the wall showing the film for that night. They were so tempting that they made people look
twice at the few coppers in their hands - the price of the match. However, first things first, and so
they became football spectators. In those days the crowds attending matches were three deep
around the pitch.
There was one man to get beside at any game and that was Dan Dorrian. Dan and his brother,
Pat, travelled the country, selling second hand men's clothing and had a permanent stall in Newry
Market. Both lived in the New Row and had their store at the rear of McCann's pub. Although
Dan was a very quiet stocky man, he always got over-excited when the local side were losing.
When the forward from the enemy side had burst past the Town backs and was racing for the
goal, he would run onto the pitch, shouting "He's through, he's through; as sure as hell's a man
trap, he's through!" This drew a laugh from the crowd and eased the pain of defeat, at least for
that day.
The New Row was a street of small houses, almost facing the football field. At the rear of every
one of them was a small pig sty and at that time nearly everyone kept a sow to which they fed
everything except waste paper. The piglets were sold in the Market to supplement meagre wages.
Some of those people had to retail coal in one or half-stones from their coalhouses, in a desperate
effort to get that extra few coppers. Those were the days of the large families and the New Row
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was full of youngsters, all waiting till they reached the age of ten or twelve, for this was a time in
their lives when they were sent part-time to work in the Annsborough Linen Mills.
On the top of Mill Hill, and built at right angles to the Main Road, is another long street of
houses. These were erected by the Annesley Estate, to accommodate its workers. It is called the
Blue Row and, like the New Row houses, being very small, had the advantage of being easily
heated. There was no scarcity of fuel for the open fire grates in the Town during the poverty
years of the 1920s and 30s, as the Demesne was open to anyone who wished to collect the
branches blown down from the trees. Tuesday was usually wash day in the family home and this
meant Monday collection of firewood. Women with children and unemployed husbands were a
common sight walking home with large burdens of sticks on their backs.
Castlewellan Committee 1954 1st Club Bus.
No.1: Dan McCartan, Barber. Ned McCann. No.2: Tommy Ward, Painter. Teresa Ward.
P. McGreevy. Johnny McGreevy. No.3: Hugh McKelvey. Cycle Shop. No.4: Jimmy
McEvoy, Painter. No.5: Tommy Steele, Butcher. No.6: Dan Rooney, Teacher. No.7: P.F.
McCabe, Insurance Agent and Clogger. Barney Corrigan. No.8: James McCrickard,
Publican. No.9: Tommy Branney, Postman. No.10: Paddy O'Donoghue, Teacher. Mary
Claire O'Donoghue. No.11: Hugh McAleenan, Surveyor. Mick Morgan.
The washing commenced with their clothes being boiled in a huge pot and, after a certain time,
were taken out and washed in a tub beside the fire using a scrubbing board, which is now used
only as a musical instrument! This procedure was repeated on Saturday night, but this time it was
the kids' turn for the scrubbing brush.
The modem house, with its oil or gas central heating and bath-rooms, put an end to this way of
life, but it is still hard to beat a large log fire in the open hearth of an old fashioned small house.
The houses in the Blue Row are very old (built about 1712), and some years ago when the rent,
ls6d per week, would hardly pay to replace the odd slate, G.F. Annesley thought it best to sell out
to the occupants. The houses have since been modernised and must be classed as sensible,
economic units, good for many years to come.
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In the manufacture of linen, the cloth is rinsed in a solution of water and blue dye to give it that
brilliant whiteness. A lot of the people employed in this section of the earlier local mills, lived in
this street and gave it the name, Blue Row. Strangely enough these houses stand on private
ground depriving the dwellers of some of the council amenities such as the surfacing of the road.
Old Crocks G.F. Team About the 1940's
Johnny Hanna, Francy Lynch, Barney Jennings, Hugh McNabb, Arthur Rooney, Pat Lavery, J.
Rice.
Seamus Fitzpatrick, Bernard Brannigan, Edward O'Hare, Johnny McGreevy, Dan McCartan,
Tommy Steele, Mick McAlinden, A. Poland, Arthur Murphy.
The meadow was the central point for recreation for the whole Town. People practised golf,
played soccer and Gaelic football, hurley and handball and, at one time, the local men had a pitch
for playing marbles. Another favourite game in the 1930s, was rounders, but is rarely seen now.
Most Castlewellan folk were under the impression that the meadow was a Council playground,
but it appears it was the property of the R.C. Parish. In 1976,77, the Parish sold the field to the
Town G.A.A. Club, who resurfaced it and built a high wall along the Circular Road, with a
proper entrance gate. This wall closed in the meadow and buried a thousand memories. The
G.A.A. also bought a large garage, built in the 1940s by the Ulster Transport Board, but was
little or never used. This place was adjacent to the meadow and turned into a Social Club. To
facilitate the other sports people in the Town, the Department of the Environment bought a field
at Seaview, a quarter mile out the Rathfriland Road. They made this into a playfield, complete
with car park and all amenities, but that little distance makes all the difference and the field
seems to attract very little interest.
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The Picture House was originally built as a Hibernian Hall in the late 1920's early 1930's. At that
time it was on the outskirts of the town. The Hall was seldom used by the Hibernians but was
rented out to various groups or people for entertainment. One of the first was Minett, a man who
put on a silent film twice a week. His little machine was placed in the middle of the hall and the
screen was very small. His films were all cowboys and Indians, with herds of cattle stampeding
from right to left and tumbling over cliffs after having been stolen by a band of desperados who
in turn were being chased by one immaculately dressed sheriff. This was on Wednesday night.
On Friday night there were still herds of thundering cattle, this time from the left to the right and
followed by the same bad guys who were still being chased by the sheriff. These films were a
must and cheap at three pence. Around 1943 another man from Ballykinlar by the name of
Hamson, took over and his machine was placed at the rear of the hall using a larger screen; then
up went the price to sixpence. However, for this sort of money the lone chasing sheriff would
burst into song. Charlie Chan, the Chinese version of Sherlock Homes was another great
favourite of this Ballykinlar man and Charlie was so often on the screen most people thought he
lived locally. Then thanks to Watty Herron the sympathetic townsman, Castlewellan had at last a
real cinema. He brought all the up-to-date films as well as the Pathe news which covered events
all over the world, including the coming of the coloured films. Watty employed Padraig Hennan
from the New Row to operate his picture machines until 1943, at which time Gerry Mullen a
local electrician got this job. He remained there until the television closed all the small cinemas
about the middle 1950's. The hall was then demolished about 1982. Between the Hibernian Hall
and the New Row, Church Lane led to the Electric Power House which supplied the town up to
the 1930's.
To have more than one light from this source was something at that time as most people had one
twenty five watt light in the kitchen, if this bulb went out, the electrician was called from the
Power House to replace it. Every evening at dusk the sound of the powerful engine starting up
was heard all over the town reminding everyone that another evening had arrived. The flick of
the switch replaced all the filling with oil, the trimming wicks and all the dirt attached to the old
paraffin lamp. This station closed in 1932 with the coming of the N.I.E.S. A Mr. Shannon from
Newcastle owned this business. The old station was turned into a Private house about the early
fifties and remains as such in 1986.
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St. Malachy's Primary School on the Circular Road. In use for nearly one hundred years as so
inadequate classes had to be held in the Hib. Hall, the Parochial Hall and Mobile Rooms. It closed
altogether in February, 1987.
This is a 1923 Bullnose Morris. A very popular car with the local poultry buyers.
They cut off the body behind the front seat and built on a little flat lorry type platform on which to
place their Hen Coops. A two year old and little used Bullnose was price around £12 and the timber
for the body would not exceed £2.
"Pure Vanilla Ices", this was printed on the sides of Barney Jennings' ice cream vans. He had two
of these, pony drawn and operated by his brothers. These little gaily coloured vans were made up
having a door at the rear, two counter like sides and a roof supported by four fancy turned corner
posts. The ice cream was placed in a container inside a larger one with ice in between. Barney's
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ices were sold at all the sports meetings, football matches as well as round the nearby towns. A
visit to his ice cream factory would be one to remember as the equipment consisted of one large
tub of ice in which smaller one kept turning and churning, moaning and groaning, all in protest
and all in an open shed behind his cottage in Bunkers Hill. The inside tub was filled was
Barney's special mix and driven by an old Austin Seven Car Engine which was in complete
sympathy with its work mate. But despite all the noise and smoke, the quality and purity of
Barney's two penny sliders could not be surpassed in 1986. Barney stopped the ice cream
business about 1946 and his last van was built on an old ford eight car should have been kept as
one of Castlewellan's oldies. Barney Jennings bought and sold, calves, ponies, rungs, cars and
watches.
All this and a little bit of illicit taxi work on the side made Barney a man very much in demand.
He died in 1968.
In the 1920 period, five people, Johnny Magorian, Jimmy and Ned McEvoy, Dan and Hugh "the
Rook" Jennings all from Bunkers Hill Castlewellan, collected poultry for export and sold them to
Kevin Bell from Crossgar. They travelled through Mourne on their small pony and vans and
went as far afield as Kilkeel in one day, visiting all the farms in that area. One Winter following
a really bad harvest in 1921 the only feeding for the ponies was straw at a £1 a bale, about as
much as a man hoped to make in one week. This nearly put these men out of business but they
managed to survive until the car came along and the ponies were no longer a viable proposition.
These people were known locally as the fowl men not to be confused with foul men.
Johnny Magorian bought two of these Morris cars converted one, and used it on the road for six
months while he was doing the same conversion to the other. He would then switch the number
plates unto van number two and drive it for six months while repainting and servicing the first.
This continued for a couple of years until a policeman noticed what was taking place and
summoned Johnny. On the day of the Court, in the Market House in 1930, the local police
Sergeant, James Pettigrew spoke for Johnny and pointed out that he was a hard working man
with a large family and would not have known he was committing an offence. The RM. agreed
that the law was a bit obscure with regard to this new mode of transport and fined Johnny the
minimum of two shillings (l0 pence). Sergeant Pettigrew argued this was a stiff fine and walked
up to the Bench and paid the two shillings himself. This friendly gesture is still remembered by
some in 1986.
The new Public Elementary School built in the early 30's stands in its own spacious grounds at
the Mill Hill end of the town and built by William Callaghan & Company. Two teachers from
that school who stand out in memory are George Skillen and Rex. Patterson. George is a son of
Willie Skillen, the Jeweller on the Main Street. He was a teacher all his life and although he is
now retired he can't forget an old teaching colleague Rex. Patterson. While George was playing
golf, Rex was determined to master the art of sailing a boat. This oversized man in an undersized
sailing dingy was a true definition of what sport is all about. There was no living person ever
enjoyed his or her hobby as Rex did. Rex Patterson came from Dromore area and in the late
1950's moved to Ballymoney.
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Port or Starboard
When I was a youth to tell you the truth
My only idea of play
Was to get a wee boat then myself afloat
And sail all around Dundrum Bay.
I fancied myself as a sailor
And even called the sea the sae
They thought me insane for, I vowed, high wind or rain
I'd sail all around Dundrum Bay.
When asked by the local old seadogs
Why did I act in this way
With glowing pride I stood up and replied
To sail all around Dundrum bay.
The folk were chatty and friendly
As they sat on a plank on the quay
And for this wet earred lad lots of hints could be had
How to sail all around Dundrum Bay.
There was Mickey and Paddy, Haddocks, and James
Gong, seeds, moat and mealy
To name but a few of my advisory crew
As I sailed all around Dundrum Bay.
One bright may morning, without any warning
I tiptoed down into the quay
And like a slick city banker up with my anchor
And took on the mighty big bay.
I reached and I jibed I filled and I spilled
And when I ran I near blew away
With my hand on the tiller there was no more willer
To sail all around Dundrum Bay.
There was mackerel and herring blocking and cod
And skate like a big manta ray
To name but a few of the fish that I drew
As I sailed all around Dundrum Bay.
This is a long time ago now
And I've come near the end of my day
But I'll always remember that May to September
When I sailed all around Dundrum Bay
-- I dedicate this poem to Rex.
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The old Public Elementary School, in the Upper Square at the corner of the Circular Road, was
always a great meeting place for the local men, as the gable was well sheltered and most of the
Town could be viewed from this point. It was used as a school until the middle 1920s, when it
became vacant for a few years. In the late 1930s, it was taken over by James Wilson for repairing
and making all types of furniture, employing about eight people.
One good summer's day, James thought he would have his large furniture van repainted and
decided to do this outside the school. A scaffold was erected to allow the painters to reach the
top of this high vehicle and, while washing it down with an inflammable cleaner, the van
suddenly caught fire and looked as if it was a goner. On the far side of the street, Barney
Cunningham and Pat Murray, one of Cunningham's taxi drivers, were sitting in front of the shop
and immediately spotted the fire. Pat, summing up the situation in a flash, dashed indoors,
grabbed a large fire extinguisher and, when emerging at speed, the apparatus accidentally went
off. It must be said for Pat Murray, that his superb imitation of an African War Dance, to the
accompaniment of a beautiful fountain display, was highly amusing to all the people on the Main
Street. When the extinguisher was empty, Pat looked across for the fire but it had gone out as
quickly as it started, leaving him to get out of sight as fast as he could.
James Wilson sold the old school to a fellow, Trainor, from Tyrella, who converted part to a
dwelling house, which it still is to date.
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This is the empty half of the Old P.E. School with "Wilson's Furniture" still discernable above the
windows.
Castlewellan Public Elementary School, 1926
Pupils from Master Bunting's room at Castlewellan Public Elem. School, taken about 1926.
Back Row: Willie McNeill, Jim Latimer, Arthur Hardy, Johnny Beggs, Fred Kelly, Jack Skillen,
Tom Smiley. Middle Row: Sam Smiley, Kenneth Linton, Edna Rodgers,
Mary Hardy, Alma McKay, Harry Caruth, Archie Kilpa trick, George McKenny.
Bottom Row: Hilda Kilpatrick, Winnie McKay, Nellie Kelly, Emily McSpadden, Lilian Caruth,
Anna Ryan, Jean Gilmore, Anna Ryan, Jean Gilmore, Elsie McCombe.
Seated on the ground: Robert McKay, Bustard, Charlie McNeill, Willie P. McFadden.
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Barney Cunningham on the right, 1945.
Keown's House in the Upper Square. Behind the double window on the left was Cardwell Tailor
and later Charlie Keown's Shop. The other double window on the right was Dan O'Boyle's Tuck
Shop.
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Dan O'Boyle, Confectioner and Market Square, Supervisor.
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Loghlan Cardwell, Tailor.
Before the 1920s, Drapery shops were entirely different to what they are today. They were
mostly all shelves stocked with rolls of suit and dressmaking materials and very often drab in
colour. At that time, when people reached the age of forty, they looked on this as the beginning
of old age. As it wasn't possible to buy ready made clothes, they got a tailor to make, in the case
of a man, a blue serge suit, and, in the case of a woman, clothes to her feet in black. Those outfits
lasted them till death, by which time the cloth was green with age. Castlewellan was well catered
for with tailors, and one easily forgotten was Loghan Cardwell. He had his business in the Upper
Square, tight in the corner at the old P.E. School. The property belonged to Albert Priestly from
Clarkhill, and was tenanted by "Loughy", as he was known, until 1949. He then moved to
Dundrum to live with his eldest son, Joe, who was an electrician, having served his time in the
Castlewellan Power House. Loghan died in 1959.
Around about 1939/40, Dan O'Boyle, another Clarkhill Man, took one half of this building and
opened a Confectionery and Tobacconist. He carried on there for 15 years and closed the shop in
1954. Some years later, a son-in-law, Charles Keown, who had served his time to the Grocery in
Savages in the Town, and had already a small shop going in Clarkhill, took over both O'Boyles
and Cardwells, opening a shop in the latter. Charlie and his wife, Kathleen, kept this going until
1968; then closed down and made the lot into one dwelling. Dan O'Boyle died in 1962 and
Charles Keown in 1983.
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In the 1900s, there was another Chemist Shop in the Town. This one was in the Market Square
and owned by Samuel Smiley. In addition to selling all the usual goods connected with this kind
of business, he would test eyesight for glasses and would also relieve a person of an aching tooth
at any time of day or night, including Sunday.
To have a tooth out by Samuel in those days was an experience never to be forgotten. The patient
sat on a chair in Sammy's shop. He would go into the back and then reappear with his wife to
hold the aching head, and to give Sam some moral support because everybody seemed to be
trembling with fear. Then, in a quiet voice like an executioner, he would keep on saying, "Be a
good little soldier; be a good little soldier", while holding the nasty looking blunt needle and the
huge pliers in his hand. But when the poor man held up his one or four pronged trophy, and
showed a large box of uglier teeth than the new one for his collection, it was very hard to tell
who was the more relieved. The cost of all this was two shillings.
Samuel Smiley closed in the 1940s, and the property was purchased by Robert Armstrong, the
Draper. In 1948, Jim Bell, from Derryneil, rented the shop for a short time, to sell second-hand
car parts, before moving up the Street. The place was then turned into a Hairdressers and run by
Mrs Arthur Rooney from the Town and, later, again a Hairdresser's, run by Rosemary McGrady,
from Burrengrove. In 1962, when it became vacant, it was bought by Sammy Brown, from
Backaderry, whose wife, Yvonne, is also a Ladies Hairdresser. She carries on her business in one
half of the divided shop and the other half, a Barber's, is rented to John Doherty, from
Bryansford. The trade name above the shop is" Yvonne's". Above the side door, leading to the
living quarters, is a sign stating that there is also a 5Op shop, in one of the upstairs rooms.
Back in the early 1920s, when the old paraffin engines were being installed by the farmers, to
drive corn bruisers, lights and other farm machinery, an Engineer from Kilkeel saw an opening
in Castlewellan, for someone to service and repair this equipment; so he moved into a large
house on Mary Street behind and belonging to Samuel Smiley. Later, in 1933, he bought the old
mill at the Clarkhill corner on Mill Hill, and worked there till he retired in 1948. Harry Wright
was an expert at his job and it was a real treat to watch him working his large lathe. The old mill
is now a private house, having been completely modernised in the 1970s, by his son, Tommy.
The workshop behind Smiley's was used in the 1950s, by Charlie McVeigh, who originated in
Mill Hill and had served his time in 'Soad' O'Hare's, to the cabinet making and furniture repairing
trade. He carried out a similar business here, but died in 1970, at the age of 54 years.
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The Shop on the left was Smiley 's Chemist and is little changed today.
The one on the right belonged to the famous George Magorrian and has been modernized.
Sammy Brown whose main interest is Horse Breeding. He is shown here showing a mare and foal at
Castlewellan Show, 1986. Sammy is no stranger to the Pony and Gig Demonstrations and never
misses any run for charity.
Of all the shops to enter, George Magorrian's must have been one of the rarest. George ("Tart"),
a local man, had a Boot and Shoe Shop in Market Square, beside Smiley's. He opened about
1900, employing a couple of men to help with the shoe repairs. To get to George's workshop in
the basement, it was necessary to place the hands on the stair rails and take a flying leap over a
lot of sheets of leather lying flat on the steps. To a customer looking for a new pair of boots or
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shoes, George produced the right foot one, from the box. If the customer didn't like it, he slung it
into a heap of new footwear in the corner. If the person did like it but offered Tart less than the
price asked, he was immediately slung out onto the street, accompanied by inaudible abuse from
a mouth which was constantly full of shoe nails. When George died about 1956, there was a sale
of his goods and everyone there was searching for right footed boots, as there were nothing on
the shelves but boxes of lefts.
George's property was then bought by Hugh King, the Draper, and divided, providing for two
shops - one on either side of the front entrance. In 1957, the left side became the Post Office,
under Tommy Todd, and the right, a Confectionery, run by Gerry Mullen, the local Electrician.
The Post Office remained there until 1983, but had a change of Post Master in 1959. The new
man was Tom Nelson, a stranger to the Town, who served there until he died in 1983. Gerry
Mullen was a tenant for only one year and moved out to make room for Lily Farquhar, who
lasted a little longer, till 1975 to be exact, with her fruit and vegetable shop, before deciding to
retire. This was the place Joe Steele moved to from the Lower Square, and quickly built up a
trade which demanded expansion.
Joe Steel, proprietor of the supermarket, with Betty Mullen
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Willie McCawley, centre. The young fellow on the left is Nicholas Pell a nephew of Paddy Steel.
He had just finished his time to the butchering and has emigrated to Australia in January, 1987
only to find he could not be divorced from Castlewellan and is on his way home again.
A bunch of North Riders collecting their trophies from the Dundalk Club at their end of seasons,
Motor Cycle, Grass Track Racing, Dinner party. Three locals, No. 1 Tom Herron, No. 2 Anthony
Steele, No. 3 James Herron. About 1960.
The moving of the Post Office across the street was a Godsend for Joe, who immediately
occupied the whole premises in 1983. His business in the grocery, fruit and vegetable trade is
such that he could do with even more space. For a village store, this is a Supermarket with a
capital S.
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To our friends who travel far
Their fortunes there to seek
We won't forget them year by year
Fond memories we will keep
Although they may be out of sight
Our hearts are with them still
We often wish they'd stay around
But then, it is their will.
What more can a body do today?
So to them, God speed and health
And if they yearn home to return
With little or with wealth
They'll always find an open door
And those who don't forget
The faces that have passed their way
And the people they have met.
P. Mullen
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The Dreamer
I dreamt I had a billion pounds and bought a billion smiles
And placed each one upon the lips of the people of these isles.
Then I gazed into their eyes and a sparkie I did see
One that long since disappeared, but back now, there to be.
But this is just a dream you see that fades by morning light
Then haunts my soul throughout the day and far into the night.
If only dreams would all come true and tears were golden streams
Then I could go to sleep content to dream about my dreams.
I dreamt I wrote a billion songs that spread a million miles
To reach the ears of emigrants who'd travelled far and wide.
And as they faltered in their stride at the sounds of my refrain
A thought was stirred within their minds to come back here again.
But this is just a dream you see that fades by morning light
Then haunts my soul throughout the day and far into the night.
If only dreams would all come true and tears were golden streams
Then I could go to sleep content to dream about my dreams.
I dreamt I lived a billion years and walked across the seas
And rounded up all Irish folk who'd left here by degrees.
Though some had went without consent or just an urge to roam
I gathered all within my arms and carried each one home.
But this is just a dream you see that fades by morning light
Then haunts my soul throughout the day and far into the night.
If only dreams would all come true and tears were golden streams
Then I could go to rest content, at last, free from my dreams.
P. Mullen, January 1990
A twelve inch square framed copy of this poem hand printed in Old English Style hangs
alongside the works of Wordsworth in a small museum in Grassmere in the Lake District in
England where that poet once lived.
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In 1934 Tommy Steele, Butcher, dissolved partnership with Willie Hannity in the lower square
and moved to upper square where he converted a dwelling house to a butcher's shop.
Steele was helped by three of his four sons, Tommy Jun., Patrick and James. Anthony, the
youngest, served his time to the motor repair trade in Murray's Garage in Castlewellan. He then
worked on his own account behind the Butcher's Shop, but thought he would try his luck in
England. He died there a young man in his forties. Tommy, the eldest, went to work in the Home
Produce, in Newcastle, and spent most of his working life there. James started a dairy in the yard
at the rear of the shop but this fell through when as he was known, died in the early 1970s.
Paddy, the second son, took over the butcher's on the death of the old man in 1959 and, by 1978,
had seen enough beef to do him his day. He placed the burden of the entire business on the
shoulders of his eldest son, Anthony, and although Tony was only thirty one years old, it wasn't
many sun-ups before there were changes to the business. He immediately commenced to make
meat and fish pies and pasties. He then opened a carry out, named "The Dolphin", rented out the
butcher's to Willie McCawley, from Newcastle, and really went into the pasties business in
earnest.
By 1986, Tony had employed forty four people. One in particular, Hugo Moore, practically runs
the whole factory and is a tremendous help to him.
Anthony Steele's property which includes "the Dolphin" Take Away Food.
On the extreme right is the "Castletown Insurance Office".
Tony is more interested in tinkering with the machinery and his fleet of vans and trucks used to
deliver his products to the four corners of Ireland. His other hobby seems to be the buying up of
gardens all around his factory and the way negotiations are going at the present time, he is likely
to own the lot belonging to all the premises on that side of the street, including Rodgers, the
builders, workshop. Anthony Steele's turnover in 1986, reached the unheard of amount of money
in Castlewellan - two million pounds.
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For recreation, he followed the motor-cycle grass-track sport and has his home full of trophies.
He still likes to have a charge around a field on his motorcycle.
There are one or two places in the Town that it would be impossible to keep a complete record
of. One is the shop with the railings round the front, adjoining the Ulster Bank and facing onto
the Upper Square. In the 1900s, it was Boyd's Saddlery and Leather Goods and, from then, in
quick succession, almost certainly a Barber's, run by 'Trix' Donnegan, from the Circular Road, a
Cycle Sales and Repairs, by Johnny Rice, from Ballymagreehan, an Electrical Supplies, by
Paddy Fegan, the local Electrician, Funerals Hardware Grocery by Willie Patterson, from
Bryansford, a Fruit Shop, by Willie Kerr and was supposed to be the home of Doctor Moore,
when he first came to the Town. All these changes occurred before the late 1940s or early 1950s,
when it was bought by Hugh King, the Draper, who lived there privately and sold the large
garden and shed at the rear to Rodger Brothers, the builders. Around 1960, Hugh built a new
house on the Newcastle Road, rented the town dwelling to Ned Murray, the Garage man, and the
shop end to Mrs Arthur Rooney, for a Hairdresser's. At the present time Ned Murray is still there
but the name above the business part is "Castletown Insurance". At the rear of those premises
and across Mary Street was a large building with loft belonging to Hugh. It was it this loft he
once held auctions.
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Two, three storey buildings on the Main Street and almost facing one another were the tallest
trading centres in the Town prior to the building of Mooneys. One was Stranaghans and the other
the American House. The house was an emporium owned by the Stewarts and it stood on the site
now occupied by the Ulster Bank. One man and his wife, Truesdales, worked there and they
canbe seen, in the photo, in the rear seat of Willie Skillen's car. About 1924 the American House
was cleared away and by 1926 the Town had a new Ulster Bank. This was also built on the
corner from Native Granite by the Builders, Flynn and McNeill from Dundrum. The Stewarts
who had lived in the American House, moved to the Oak Hall and were hardly settled in when
both the parents died - Mrs Stewart on the 29th and her husband on the 30th March 1927, leaving
two sons Bertie and John. Those men immediately sold the Oak Hall complete with Business to
Henry McCracken and moved to Newcastle.
To minimize the waste of Assistant's time, the larger stores installed a network of fine steel wires
suspended about a foot above head height. They all led to the office which was usually at the rear
of the shop. When an article was sold at a distant counter the cash and docket were placed in a
small round wooden container, called a shuttle, and hooked on one of the wires. The flick of a
lever sent the shuttle skimming along to the office. The receipt was returned by the same method.
Willie Skillen started business, on his own account, in Castlewellan in 1907, having served five
years non-paid apprenticeship and two years as an improver at half a crown a week, 25P. At the
present address he sold and repaired watches, clocks and jewellery. In the course of his work the
Watchmaker became skilled at making any required part and was so proud of his workmanship,
would etch his name and date of the repairs he had carried out on any time piece.
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It is noticeable that in that period Watchmakers all turned their attention to the Bicycle Trade. It
is thought that the reason for this was the way the bicycles came from the Bicycle Firms in those
days. They came in small pieces, lengths of tubing with spokes and screws all to be cut to the
required lengths and brazed up to form a frame.
The Ulster Bank as it stands today on the Corner of Upper Square. It was opened in 1926 having
moved from its initial temporary office in the Lower Square in the place known later as "The Cosy
Cafe ". The first Manager in the new Bank was a Mr. Armstrong and the present one is Mr. Sean
Maguire.
The Double Funeral of the Stewarts emerging from the Presbyterian Church, Castlewellan.
When the wheels and all the other parts were assembled the whole lot had to be hand painted,
and only somebody like Watchmakers had the know-how to do all this.
Willie Skillen's business progressed with the times, from bicycles to motorcycles and then to
motor car repairs. Soon Willie needed two or three Mechanics and employed two men from
Murland's Mills, Hugh Dumigan from Annsborough and a man called Dick ("Yankee") Green
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from Ballybannon and Teddy McCartan from Ballylough. Those men also drove Skillen's taxi
while Willie was working in the shop. When Jack and Ernie, Willie Skillen's two eldest sons,
were old enough, they took over the Garage. Dumigan and McCartan bought a taxi each and
stood on the Lower Square at the Hotel. Dick Green then went to America. Skillen's later
employed Seamus Cardwell, from the Town, as an Apprentice Mechanic and when the war
started both the Skillens and Cardwell went to work in an Aircraft Factory in Belfast and
eventually settled there. This finished the car repairs, but Pat O'Hare and later Martin Burns, both
from the Circular Road, worked at the cycles until Willie died in 1947 at which time that end of
the business closed as well. Mrs Martha Skillen continued with the Jewellery Shop for a further
20 years and on her retirement handed over to her son George's wife, Mrs Iris Skillen, around
1967. This shop was owned by Dick Russell in 1906 and at that time was also a Watchmakers.
The modern Drapery on the Main Street belonging to Tom Bingham has seen many changes in
it's lifetime. Tom has an old billhead which clearly states that this place Skillens was a Spirit
Store in 1845 and as well
Castlewellan, Main Street about 1886.
The American House is on the left of the photo.
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Willie Skillen behind the wheel of his Taxi reported to be the Town's first car. He also had one of
the first petrol pumps. The operator of those pumps worked a lever back and forth filing a one
gallon glass container at the top. A trigger on the nozzle was then released to let the petrol into the
car tank. This was repeated for every gallon. Petrol, at that time was "regular" only, at the pumps.
Premium had to be ordered and came in heavily made two gallon sealed cans with brass screwed
caps. The can plus the two gallons of petrol cost 3 shillings or 15p.
Willie Skillen, son Jack and "Yankee" Dick Green, 1930.
as being the birth place of Jim Wilson, the Auctioneer, was one of the leading Delph Shops in the
country, owned by Thompson about the 1900s. Around about 1920 it became a Drapers run by
three sisters McCartans who in turn sold it to Sam McConnell to remain the same with a side line
selling the Belfast Telegraph and Newsletter. In 1951 it changed hands again and the new owner
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was John Truesdale who came from the Ballyward area, and had served his time in McCrackens
in the Town. John operated there for twenty two years before selling in 1973 to a Newcastle
man, Tom Bingham the present occupant.
Skillens, Binghams and McCanns
John Truesdale
Tom Bingham trying to balance the books.
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On the lower side of the entry from the Main Street to Mary Street was a tiny shop once owned
by people named Munn, who made ladies hats, around the 1900/1925 period. On their death their
daughter Minnie lived there privately until the 1950s. On the upper side Tommy McCann had a
Pub and a great appetite for gooseberries and this was one reason for him having his garden at
the rear full of gooseberry bushes. When these were laden with fruit, he would call on his old
friend Martin Cafferky, the School Master (on whom he was always playing tricks) to send a
squad to pick the berries. The boys were delighted to get away but were warned by Cafferky that
they would have to keep whistling any who stopped would be accused of filling their mouths and
immediately sent back to school.
At the back of the Pub, Tommy had an old two storey house which was used by Pat ("B usky")
Dorrian and his brother Dan, as a clothes store in the 1940s and later made into a piggery by
Hugh, a son of Tommy McCann. Tommy McCann died on the same morning that Hugh got
married and left the Pub to Hugh who later added a Footwear Shop to the business, in the 1950s
and worked there until he died, in 1979.
The Footwear closed and the Pub was taken over by Sam Brannigan, a local who was a
representative for a Spirit Firm. Some time later Sam handed over to O'Rourkes, strangers to the
Town and who are still in occupation at the present providing all the singsongs and cabaret
necessary to draw a custom in this age and time.
Hugh McCann was greatly interested in horseracing and actually ran a Bookies in the Town
about the 1950s. One day as he walked up the street, he saw G. F. Annesley, filling up with
petrol at Cunninghams and asked him if he was going to the Races in Dublin. G. F. was and
Hugh accepted the offer of a lift. On their arrival at the Race Course little over an hour later,
Hugh thanked G. F. for both rides. "What do you mean, both rides?" asked Annesley. "My first
and last!" answered Hugh and went to find another lift home.
George Wilson, "Toby";- If anyone was game enough to address him by that nickname, was a
Boer War Soldier as stiff and as straight as a rush and as short tempered a wee man as ever
sported a waxed moustache. When Toby spoke pleasantly to anyone, they thought it was their
Birthday and this was the little man who opened a Watchmakers and Bicycle Shop next door to
Minnie Munn in the 1900s. It took a lot of courage to face George in his den as a request for a
new part for a bike was answered with a barrage of abuse and a charge upstairs to his stores
which ended with cycle frames, mud- guards and wheels being flung about in very noisy protest.
One wrong word from a customer and his life was in danger of termination by cycle frame
strangulation. He treated his watch and clock customers with the same civility and many a person
gathered his dismantled time piece from the street, but for all that, Toby was a real character and
one of the most talked about men in the Town.
One wintry morning a neighbouring businessman was passing and got a shock to hear Toby
calling him over and pointing to an old, and the only, man slithering up the street. Toby
remarked "Thats the sort of an old B*****d that you and I have got to get a days pay out of."
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The neighbour, finding him in a talkative mood, stayed for a while until they noticed the old man
returning down the street with a new spade over his shoulder and when he was just passing Toby
said to him "Well it's going to a good home anyway."
George Wilson kept the old Market House clock ticking over until he died, about the middle
1950s. His and Minnie Munn's little shops were knocked into one, completely renovated and refronted in 1958. It is now a modern Confectionery owned and run by Mrs Leontia Connolly,
Daughter-in-Law of the people who once owned Mooney Bros in the Upper Square. In
practically every town there always was and will be people with the temperament of George
Wilson and the most remarkable thing is the way they are remembered with reverence by their
own community.
Minnie Munn. About 1910-1920
Boot and Shoe Sales and Repairs in John Hall's on the Main Street adjoining Toby Wilsons,
known to be previously owned by Cunninghams (not the Bros.) was occupied by Halls since the
1830s and run by John Jun. and George on the death of the old man, John. In the 1930s the Halls
were the real owners of Bustards. Bustard being a Son-in-Law was the Manager of the Factory
for Hall and traded under that name. John Jun. served behind the shop counter while George,
with a few employees, repaired the footwear in a workshop across Mary Street. They also
tinkered at radios and as a sideline charged wet batteries which were the main source of power
for the countryman's wireless in the 1930s. The two Halls were very quiet men in later years but
were lively enough in their youth. A lot of their leisure time was spent in the Electric Power
Supply Station on the Circular Road, playing cards and all sorts of tricks on the people who
frequented that place. A rumour was spread through the Town that witchcraft was practised in
the Power House at night and with an invitation to anyone who wished to take part in this
experience. The new arrivals were requested to place their hands on the tubular rail surrounding
the running engine, the lights turned out and amid laughs from the spectators, the victim shook
hands with 230 volts which brought him closer to his ancestors as he would ever wish to be.
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Mrs. Leontia Connolly's Modern Confectionery
Halls closed shop in 1955 and sold out. The whole premises were then completely renovated.
With a new front and the shop divided into two. Jim Wilson, the Chemist and new owner,
commenced business in the upper of the two shops while living above the whole lot. He rented
the other shop to Dick McCabe, from Dundrine, for the sale of footwear and as a sideline Dick
had a mobile Grocery Van on the road. Dick McCabe was in occupation there from 1960 to 1964
and then moved out. Jim Wilson carried on until 1978, when Dan O'Rourke a local Plumber
bought the whole place and opened a Wholesale and Retail Plumbing Business. Dan died in 1981
leaving two sons, Paddy and Donal to carry on. The O'Rourke Bros. soon expanded buying all of
Ned McKenny's yard and part of Frank McKenny's property all being situated in Mary Street and
adjacent to O'Rourkes. This Plumbing Firm is doing extremely well.
On the Main Street beside Hall's Footwear, a Mrs. King had a Cafe and Boarding House in the
1900 period. One of her two sons Peter, a tall squarely built curly haired man, became one of the
Town's colourful characters, dressing up as a cowboy and acting the fool on the local stages with
'Snow Paddy Cunningham' dressed as a woman. Peter tried many ways to get his hands on the
ever elusive pound. He bought an old Tractor and Thresher and worked on the country, ploughed
land for other farmers and had a go at the Pork Business. Peter said the more food he put into the
pigs the thinner they got and often recalled the remark made by one of his pigs as he drove them
to the Railway Station for shipment. "You'll not forget us for a while Peter." Working with pigs
isn't a nice job at any time and Peter had no need to proclaim his occupation always to the
displeasure of his mother with her Eating House.
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O'Rourke's Plumbers
Dan, The founder of the Business
Peter laughed this off and told a story about a man who called in the Cafe looking for him. His
mother directed the stranger to Bunker's Hill where Peter had his Piggery. "How will I know him
asked the man" and Mrs. King replied "He'll be the one with the glasses." In his younger days,
about the end of the First World War, Peter worked at repairing bicycles in Willie Skillen's
Jewellery and Bicycle Shop and at that time the country was hit by a terrible flu, killing
thousands of people and putting Willie, his wife and two sons off their feet. Peter King nursed
that family through their illness as well as running the house and for that the Skillens were
forever indebted to him
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The White Shop on the right originally King's Cafe
Shortly after that, the Kings emigrated to America but returned in the 1930s to carry on the Cafe
until 1946 when Peter sold out and bought a Pub at Edindarrif. He moved there and spent the
remainder of his days behind the Pub counter. During the years the Kings were away, the Cafe
was rented to Peter Mageean, from the New Row, to carry on his Barber's Shop. This was one of
the old time Hairdressers with the long stools around the inside of the shop and usually heaped
with Vernons and Littlewoods Pool Coupons. Instead of a name above the door, there was a six
foot red and white striped pole sticking straight out across the footpath. On the return of the
Kings Peter Mageean moved to Downpatrick depriving Castlewellan of one of it's best
entertainment spots. Peter died in 1986. It is thought a man called Carr from Ballykinlar, repaired
footwear in Kings about the 1940s but was there only a short time. During the early 1980s when
this place belonged to John McKenny, one young fellow, "Brogan", from Kilcoo started a Green
Grocery, but his stay was limited to months.
The Town, in the days when there wasn't an electric or telegraph pole in sight. Hens on the street
and children outside Hall's Shop, the building marked with the X.
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A Busy Weekday
A Market Day
A Wedding Party
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James McKenny, beer, wine and spirits, bottled for his wholesale business and made his own
minerals with water taken from a well half a mile out the Rathfriland Road, the remains of which
is still evident in 1987. James was another Horse Dealer and stood his horses beside his Pub on
the Lower Square. He drove around in a Tub Trap and always kept a fast running pony, one in
particular ran away almost every evening. After James returned to his yard in Mary Street, this
pony could have been seen galloping out the Rathfriland Road heading for Paddy Kelly's Smithy
at Burrenbridge, with a Collie dog standing on it's hind legs at the front of the Trap. The
McKenny Pub and dwelling was burned down in 1920 and rebuilt into a Pub and three dwelling
houses for McKenny's three sons. James died in 1928 and Pat got control of the Pub and then
divided the large yard into three. Frank McKenny and the other brother Edward started Dairy
Farms and sold milk round the Town and Newcastle, Pat changed from horses to dealing in
cattle, having already quit the bottling end of the business. Some of James McKenny's stone beer
bottles are still around the Town. Most dealers are close friends as were Pat McKenny and
Barney Jennings, both always playing tricks on other people and one another. When there were
youngsters about, Barney would bend down and lift little pieces of paper under which he would
always find a sixpence. He had all the youngsters lifting papers all over the place. But one day
the tables were turned on Barney. There was a six county bread strike about the middle 1950s
with a Newry Firm, McCanns, continuing to bake
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James McKenny 's prior to the fire.
An attempt to get the Horse Fair restarted in 1983.
A 1986 line up for a Charity Run through the Demesne.
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A photo of a Beer Wagon, about the 1916 period, with the name "McKenny" printed on the chime.
The youngest man is Barney McManus, from the Corn Crane Square, and the other is Barney
(Chat) McEvoy, a brother of the Taxi man in the new row.
Another earlier picture of a McKenny Delivery Van, in the capable hands of Barney McEvoy.
loaves only. While secretly slipping bread into the Cosy Cafe by the rear door, McCann's van,
driven at that time by Hugh Fitzpatrick the present day Oil Man, blocked Mary Street and
Barney Jennings's way through. After a few plausible words, Barney was the owner of two
loaves which he immediately hid inside his motor van. This vehicle was sitting in the entry to
Mullen's Garage in full view of two other men for longer than two minutes. The delight on
Barney's face soon changed to fury when he discovered his loaves had been pinched.
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That evening he told McKenny about his misfortune. Pat told him to call at his house for some
bread as his wife had remarked earlier that she had too much and didn't know what to do with it.
Later that night Mullen and Barney decided that McKenny was guilty but how did he do it? Not
until Barney died did McKenny admit to Mullen that it was he who took the loaves, adding, that
nothing on earth would have stopped him getting that one over on Barney, even though it cost
him the price of a suit crawling on his belly through cow manure.
The Sale
I was born a little brownish foal
Out in Drumnaquoile
I romped around the meadow field
With nought a thought of toil
But all those youthful fun and games
They got a sudden check
The farmer, he walked up one day
And roped me round the neck
That was not for me at all
So I bucked and reared with fright
That only seemed to make things worse
And boy, did that rope get tight
It wasn't long before I deemed
The only way to ease
Was to follow this old clown around
Which ever way he please
"It is the town for you", he said
"This is the big May Fair"
"And a deal, if I can make
Of your future I won't care".
So we toddled off along the road
He in front, and me behind
Of all the vicious nasty men
I ne'r thought he was that kind.
We reached the town, in the early morn
Without a bite or sip
And stood along with other nags
Till weary at the hip
Then came about an oldish guy
He looked me up and down
And the thump he hit me on the rump
It really burled me round
He moved up front and grabbed my snout
And opened wide my bake
He gawked right down my bloomin' throat
This made me squirm and shake
Much more of that, he'd have got whats what
Oh boy if I could spake
Buzz along you nosey lout, you've seen the lot of me
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The ins and outs and round abouts
So let my poor head be.
My owner, he came into view
They whacked each others han'
They never even thought of me
As they hatched their evil plan
The only words I could discern
Were those, "All right I'll buy".
I'm sold, the dirty so and so
And without a single sigh
What he has done, that awful man
T'would make a boulder cry.
This new life may be full of strife
With little hope of rest
But for this stranger guy, if he's not food shy
I'll do my level best
So we'll jog along to our little farm
Where ever that may be
And I'll spend the rest of my working days
Doing chores that he asks of me.
Patsy Mullen
In the corner of the Lower Square, neighbouring McKenneys was a small old-time Pub occupied
about the beginning of the century by a man, McAlea. On his retirement he sold to Jack Doyle
who reared his family there before moving to manage another Pub in Omeath, about the late
1930s or early 40s. Then, into the vacant premises in the Square moved the famous Peter King
from around the corner. However, this was another one of Peters slow money making adventures
and he soon forgot about the Pub but not before his high power salesmanship and a stranger,
O'Hare standing behind the Bar. Standing alone behind a Bar wasn't a paying proposition so
O'Hare moved out about 1942/43.
Who really owned that Pub at that particular time isn't clear but Sarah Shields the Draper owned
it in 1943 and she rented it then to a nephew Charlie Shields from Maghermayo for ten years.
Charlie worked the business for five years during the War and employed Hugh McGreevy from
the Circular Road for the remaining period. This little Pub is bound to remember the next
occupier "Big Cog", Jim Flannagan. Born in Annsborough and weighing about twenty stone, he
must go on record as one of Castlewellan's great characters. Jim would jump onto the stage in
any Dance Hall and inject an extra bit of life into the proceedings, to the delight of the people
there, who never saw or heard of him before. He soon became known over most of Ireland
having a quick witty word for everyone. Jim would have bought or sold anything from tractors,
lorries and cars to any kind of animal. He once bought a farm in Loughinisland and remembered
one of his funniest experiences. He found a horse upstairs looking out of a window in this farm
house and the job he had before the horse was on the ground and kicking it's heels down the
field. When asked, once, why he had changed his new car again, he remarked, "I called in a
Garage to make a phone call and couldn't walk out without buying something" - one of his
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thousands of jocular answers. Jim Flannagan wasn't the man to pour beer into glasses,so he
headed for the open air again, but died in 1978 at the age of 53 years.
The Pub was taken this time by a Belfast man Tommy Crilly who unfortunately also had a short
life and died there after a short tenancy in the mid 1950s. The last Publican to run this Pub was
John Murray from Hilltown and a brother of the Garage Men in the Town of Castlewellan.
However, no one seemed to be able to make a living there so he sold to a Clough man, Willie
McGrady, a Fishmonger, thereby sealing the fate of the little Pub and changes were fast and vast.
McGrady died about 1979 and Anthony Cochrane from Ballywillwill, who had served his time
with Frank Lennon, moved in with groceries, only top~ out again within a couple of years.
In 1982 this place then housed an entirely different type of business -household electrical goods.
It was owned by another Belfast man, Smith, a relation of Willie Magorian the Garage man in
Castlewellan, but this didn't. seem to take off either, so he closed in 1983. Shortly afterwards, a
new name appeared above the door 'The Kiddies Kabin', run by Mrs John Ward, who lives next
door in part of McKenney's building and stocks everything in the clothes and equipment line for
children.
Jack Doyle's Pub and Miss Murphy's Restaurant in the Horse Fair Square.
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Another line up for a Charity Run outside the "Old Tom Pub", 1986.
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One of Castlewellan's most popular eating houses in the 1900/1940 period, was Miss Murphy's,
in the Lower Square. Apart from the local trade, this Boarding House and Restaurant did a
thriving business from the crowds who frequented the horse fairs on Murphy's door step, with
dinners at one shilling and teas at sixpence.
When this old lady died, in 1939, a small stout man (almost twenty stone in weight) bought the
place. Jimmy Cunningham, one of the Hauliers from the Town, continued serving fish and chips,
till he died in 1963. At the rear of the Restaurant, and facing onto Mary Street, was a large shed
belonging to Jimmy, and it was into this that Patsy Mullen moved his garage, in 1951.
Everything was made there - small lorries from cars, caravans and boats. He carried out all kinds
of motor repairs; his motto - "No job too big - none too small".
With this in mind, Jimmy Cunningham, his landlord, after failing for some time to get his
sweeping brushes up the chimney, called in Mullen, to run up the ladder and push the brush
down from the top. When something like fifty yards of rods had disappeared down the flue and
still no word from below, it was evident that something was amiss. It turned out that the rods had
gone down the wrong chimney, wormed their way across a sitting room, through a door, up a
hallway and crept through another entrance into Charlie Shields's Bar. When the large black
hairy thing was spotted by Hugh McGreevy, the Bar-man, he was stunned for a moment but soon
saw the funny side. Meanwhile, the man on the roof retrieved the rods and was really amused by
the note he found tied to the brush. It said, "All darkies may enter by the front door!" Mullen
moved his garage in 1961.
After Jimmy Cunningham died, the shop was let to Gerry Macken, who dealt in and repaired old
furniture. It was also possible, now and again, to pick up an old ornament or two very cheap,
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while eating the fish and chips he cooked in the old but still serviceable equipment. Gerry
Macken left there about 1975, and the place has been private accommodation since.
Between Jimmy Cunningham's and Hannity's, is a large two storey house, built about 1898, for
Andy Tuft, who later moved across the street. It was then occupied, in the early 1930s, by
Mickey Burns, the Butcher, who also moved across the street beside Tuft. The next owner,
Mickey Sawey, and his wife, Margaret, opened a Cafe and Boarding House. Mickey, a small,
light, very quick-tempered man, previously drove a delivery lorry for Pat O'Hare of the Furniture
Store and, knowing a little about this business, started selling second-hand furniture on his own
account, using a loft behind what they had named "The Cosy Cafe".
Mickey bought a small green Austin A35 car, which he kept polishing to a dazzling perfection,
but sadly this wouldn't describe his driving. Every time he came to a crossroads or traffic lights,
Margaret would advise him to stop, as another oncoming car had the right-of-way. But Mickey
had his car taxed and insured and nobody had any more right on the road than he, so he would
just drive straight on. One day, when they were on their way home from Newry, they met a man
with a large billy-goat, which was leaping about the road. Mickey wasn't in favour of this so he
stopped to complain. However, before he got the door opened, the goat charged and, with a
massive head butt, nearly put the little car over the body. This infuriated Mickey, but an attempt
to get out brought another bash. Realising he had at last met his match, Sawey sped off while
there was still some of the car left.
Mickey died in 1963, and his wife in 1976. The present owner, Raymond King, bought the Cosy
Cafe in 1966, kept a Boarding House for two years and has lived there privately since. Hannity's
Butchers was in the centre of the row of buildings in the horse trading square. Built of red and
yellow brick a lifetime ago, it still looks extremely well today.
In 1927, Willie Hannity and his partner, Tommy Steele, started a Butcher's in this shop and,
together with their families, lived in the dwelling part of the building. In 1934, Tommy Steele
moved to the Upper Square and opened his own business. During that period, the butcher sold
meat around the country from a pony and flat van, and it was common enough in the 1930s to
see a visiting stall on any market day, selling fresh meat.
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Giving advice to a new generation. Willie Hannity, left and Rosie Cunningham, Sen., outside
Hannity's Butchers shop in the early 1960's.
As well as the shop, Hannity had a dairy at the rear in the 1950s and sold the milk to the central
dairy. In one front room in the dwelling, Willie's daughter, Cissie, had a Hairdressing Salon, but
closed on her marriage to Harry McAlinden, the Grocer. When Willie Hannity died in 1966, the
business was carried on by his two sons, Tommy and P.F. Tommy later moved to Belfast, and
P.F. worked there until he retired in 1982. In 1983, Paddy Finnegan bought the Hannity property
and his son, Bartley, is in the meat business at the present time.
In the shade of one of the largest and most beautiful chestnut trees in Ireland, was a little pub and
dwelling, owned by Ned Doyle, from Kilcoo. On his retirement, Ned sold out to Peter Quinn,
who was assisted by his niece in later years. Peter was a quiet man who kept very much to
himself and had a good countryside custom. One morning in 1951, there was a 1935 Morris
Eight car, in pristine condition, sitting at Mullen's Garage, which was behind Peter's pub. While
the garage man was admiring the car, Peter called to tell him that it belonged to a fellow, Sam
Watt - a customer of his, from Ballyward. Sam, who had been in Peter's pub the night before,
would collect the car later that day but, whatever happened, neither Peter Quinn or Mullen ever
heard or saw Sam Watt again and the car rotted away and was thrown in the dump, after sitting
for fifteen years.
When Peter Quinn died in 1959, Mary Cosgrove, his niece, took over and, in 1966, became Mrs
Tom Doherty. The name of the pub was then changed to 'The Old Tom'. It was a pity to see the
chestnut tree being removed in 1976, to make way for alterations to the Squares, but its absence
left a better view of The Old Tom, which had a new owner in 1979 - Mick Masterson. He
retained Mrs Doherty, whose husband, Tom, had just died, to manage the pub and new offlicence. Mick deals in blood horses as a side line and was one of the men who restarted the Horse
Fair in the Lower Square, in 1982. He is also a force behind the pony and horse trotting
exhibition through the Demesne and round the Town, in aid of charity.
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Across Mary Street and belonging to the Old Tom pub, is a fairly large two storey building and
access to the loft is by a set of stone steps built in the most peculiar place - right in Mary Street
and blocking the half of the roadway, as they have done for over one hundred years. It is thought
the loft was used as a clubroom, concert and dance hall, in the early 1900s and, probably, by
Hibernians. It is notable that in more recent years, a lot of young people can play all sorts of
musical instruments while, in the 1930s, there were very few musicians in Castlewellan. One
man in constant demand was "Spin", Tom Toner, who worked as a blacksmith for Alex Rodgers.
Spin played the melodeon and was a man to get a hooley really going. Another was the son of
the Rev. Kidd, who lived in the big house beside St. Malachy's High School and, being a
member of an orchestra, could have been heard practising on his clarinet - a treat for those who
sat outside on a summer's evening and preferred good music. This was before radio or television.
That house, the property of the Annesley Estate, is occupied in 1987 by Amos Cromwell, the
Game-Keeper. Amos rears thousands of pheasants which are released in mid-autumn, to be ready
for the winter shoots in the Demesne, and costing any man about £250.00, for one day's
shooting, with a take- home bag of two birds. He reckoned it took £20,000, to rear the season's
birds.
The Grocery and General Provisions Store on the corner of the Newcastle Road belonged, in the
1900s, to Dan Graham. Dan was a country man and was more at home dealing in calves. He
always had a few in a shed at the rear and one night in the early 1930s, a tramp sleeping there set
fire to the place, killing the calves and was lucky to get away with his own life. Around that time,
Ena McCartan thought to be related to Dan, took over the running of the shop and carried on the
Grocery, till she died in 1979. Ena's assistant, and niece, Irene McCartan like Ena, came from
Backaderry. She continued with the business, became Mrs Doyle, and trades under that name.
Her husband, Jimmy, is a Building Contractor, and leaves the running of the shop to Irene.
"The Cosy Cafe", once the seat of the Ulster Bank. Hannity Butcher. Ned Doyle's
Pub (now, The Old Tom") and Dan Graham's at the end, run now
by Doyle and the third Doyle to own property in this row in fifty years.
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Amos Cromwell checking his chicks.
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It is said that Castlewellan once had a cobbled stone street with a row of tiny thatched houses and
shops on either side. This may or may not be true and there are various opinions as to where the
main town was at that particular time. One small house stood where the Garage is now situated
on the Newcastle Road. This very ancient two roomed building had long outlived its usefulness
as a dwelling and was used in 1920-30 as a Cycle Repair Shop by Arthur Magennis from the
Corncrane Square. It is a pity it had to be demolished about 1931 to make room for the building
of a motor garage and petrol pumps. This up and coming Motor Car Business was opened by
Willie Wallace whose father was a Manager in Murland's Mill at that time. This Garage was later
bought by two Hilltown brothers. Pat and Eddie Murray who worked there until 1978, at which
time they both retired and sold to Brian Lennon, an Aughlisnafin man who had concentrated
more on sales as the cars of the 1980s have reached a stage where less repairs are needed. In
1986, Lennon demolished the lot and built a small shopping area complete with large canopy
over the pumps.
On the Newcastle Road bordering the Meadow, from the 1900s, lived Doctor McNabb, one man
who believed walking was the only way to good health and he lived to a ripe old age doing that.
Dr. McNabb died in 1965. Hugh ("Sandy") was another one of those Doctors who fully clarified
an ailment to his patient as he did to Johnny Magorrian from Bunkershill. This man went with a
heart complaint and after a thorough examination was shown the door. "But what about my
heart?" asked Johnny, only to be told "It will do you your day" which it did until he died, over
twenty years later in 1966.
The garage built for Willie Wallace on the Newcastle Road in the early 1930's.
Money was so scarce in the 1900s that Dr. McNabb bought a new car, taxed and insured for the
road but couldn't raise the price of the insurance the 7 following year, so the car had to be sold.
When someone told him another Doctor was coming to the Town he replied "There is plenty of
room for two Doctors in Castlewellan but not enough money for one".
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Hugh's house has been private since his death having accommodated one of the longest reigning
M.D.'s the Town has ever known. It is now occupied by Eamon O'Neill a School Teacher and the
local Councillor. For a long time, from the 1920s until the late 1960s Castlewellan had a
representative, Felix McKenna and if ever there was a purpose made Councillor, he definitely
was one. Felix was a Craftsman at his job and many a Castlewellan man is indebted to him for
services rendered. He always had a witty remark to suit all occasions. One summer's day while
sitting alone, (being a Bachelor), in his little house in Ballybannon and with his goat standing in
pure soil in the paddock, he spied a well dressed man walking up the lane and thought he must be
a Cruelty Officer. Felix slipped out unnoticed and put a pair of specs on the goat. When the man,
who was not as first surmised, remarked about the scarcity of grass, Felix replied "Do you know,
I see the animals are even using glasses to look for it". Felix McKenna died eventually from
injuries received when he was knocked down by a car on the Town Street about the late 1960s.
The only person in Castlewellan to supply Home Grown Timber in plank or post form was
Willie Kirkwood. He came from the Rathfriland area and when he commenced business in the
existing yard, he lived for a while in Charlie McElhill's before buying the end house of the
terrace, beside the Presbyterian Church, on the Newcastle Road. His Timber Yard is directly
behind this, and is run today by his two sons, Willie and Bruce. When the old man died after
being there since the end of the last century, his sons bought in a lot of extra space, did away
with the old circular saws and installed a more modern band saw as well as pressure preserving
equipment. They now make all shapes of huts, sell fencing wire, posts and cement, finding it
difficult to meet the demand. Bruce recalls earlier days when it was necessary to cut up the best
of timber into firewood and hawk it around the Town. When Bruce was asked, recently, how he
liked his spanking new car, he said "Do you know I thought more of the old banger I could
hardly afford". Old Willie Kirkwood employed the Brannigans from Moneyscalp, who were
expert Timber Men, bearing in mind that to get a large twisted old tree onto a saw bench and
slice it into slabs with the least possible waste, was no easy job. The descendants of those
Brannigans are still in the Scalp, with the same love for working timber.
While thinking of the Brannigans, a little story about a relation, who lived opposite the cemetery
on the Castlewellan Newcastle Road springs to mind. This man Brannigan had a son, a Priest
who visited America as a young man, about the mid 1970s. While walking through one of the
large cities he called into a shop and bought a small radio at a cost of around 30 Dollars. He gave
a 50 Dollar Bill to one of two coloured boys behind the counter. This guy put the Bill in the cash
box and made no effort to hand over the change. Knowing he was being conned, the Priest
reached for the radio, but, the one guy grabbed it and threw it to the other fellow. Disgusted
Brannigan went out and rang for the Cops. Shortly afterwards a Police car pulled up and out
stepped two burly Lawmen. "Who called us" asked the bigger of the two. "I did said the Priest".
"What's your name" inquired the Cop. "Brannigan" was the reply. "That's a very Irish name" said
the Cop, adding "It's very common around a small Town in Ireland, called Castlewellan".
"Believe it or not that's where I come from" said the Priest and was surprised to be told by the
Cop that he was 'Cowan' from Leitrim. He was advised to stay on the Main Streets in American
cities. Father Brannigan got his change and his radio and took Cowan's advice. Efforts to trace
Cowan's near relations have been unsuccessful to date.
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The Presbyterian Church on the Newcastle Road was built in 1854 and was renovated about one
hundred years later. At this time a new pipe organ was donated and fitted by the Stewarts, Bertie
and John, who were once the owners of McCrackens Drapers. In 1937 a Minister, the Reverend
James Bridgett, B.A. was installed in this Church and became acquainted with Patsy Mullen the
Garage man who repaired a large number of old brass articles for him. Mr Bridgett was proud of
his collection but was thoroughly disgusted to awaken one morning to find someone had entered
his home and stolen the lot. A pair of brass fire tongs, repaired but never collected, belonging to
Mr. Bridgett, still stand in Mullen's Sitting Room reminding him of the rascally action which
robs any man of his hobby. The Rev. Bridgett retired in 1972 and moved from the Manse, the
two storey house sitting in it's own grounds just below the new Public Elementary School, to
Newcastle. The new Clergyman, now trusted with the spiritual welfare of the Presbyterian
congregation, is the Rev. W. P. Scullion, B.S., B.D.
Now and again a man appears in most little Irish communities and becomes a legend, not for
medals won for athletics, not for having performed some deed of gallantry, but simply for being
nabbed for making poteen. And John Brannigan from the mountainous area one mile out the
Rathfriland Road, must surely be Castlewellan's man.
About the 1980s Northern Ireland was in political turmoil and every shed and outhouse in the
Country was being thoroughly searched. While giving Brannigans the once over, dozens of
English Soldiers lay in brilliant sunshine in the shuck of the road for half a mile on either side of
the house. A few others had a look around and a hoard of bottles filled with liquid, found under
straw was completely ignored by the Englishmen. However, unfortunately for Brannigan the
nose of a local U.D.R. man a half a mile away started to twitch and led him to the hoard. This
was immediately identified for what it was, mountain dew. On the mention of the Police,
Brannigan grabbed an axe, ran up the mountain and smashed a 200 gallon barrel hidden in the
bushes. This let 200 gallons of wash into the drains under the ditch. Within minutes the Soldiers
were yelling and running about the road chased by millions of wasps attracted by the wash,
which had by then reached the shucks of the road. The Police duly arrived and an Army Officer
was heard calling to the Sergeant "It's even oozing out of the mountains". The booze was taken
to the Town Barracks and Brannigan charged. John received a short stretch in Gaol, for only a
few of the corked witnesses appeared in Court. When Inspector Joe McComiskey was jokingly
questioned about this later, he laughingly replied "John Brannigan made the best brandy I ever
tasted".
Poteen making has been part and parcel of the way of life in Ireland for hundreds of years. The
folklore and mystery surrounding this spirit has brought the name of many an Irishman onto the
pages of books the World over. Everyone knows, that poverty and loneliness in the remote areas
of this Country, forced people to invent some means of escape, so they concocted the Mountain
Dew. The greatest tragedy to befall Ireland, would be the disappearance of the Poteen Maker,
and that clear inoffensive-looking liquid to become a national myth.
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Mourne Observer Photo
John Brannigan 's Brewery, derelict now and likely to be demolished in the near future.
On the face of the distant mountain seen directly between Brannigan 's chimneys is the exact
location of the granite quarry from which the stone was used to erect the granite faced buildings in
the town. The huge statue of St. Patrick was actually carved here and was transported to
Downpatrick where it stands on the hill called Saul.
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Annsborough Soccer Football Team about 1914
Back Row: Dick McCracken, Dan O'Flinn, Pat Grant, Ben McAleenan, Goalie (and
son of the Auctioneer), Joe Bryans, Tom Skeffington.
Front Row: Jim McGowan, Jim McCracken, Ned Wright (Captain),
Sam Lewis (The Famous), Joe Toner (From the Town).
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Yer Man
He is known as Poteen Johnny and once lived in Moneyscalp
He became a Palate Wetter with a little secret help
famed from here to Katmandu for his home brewed mountain dew
And throughout the world his unquenched thirsts are now so very few.
He was the eldest of three sons. His parent's pride and joy
From the early age of only two there was something about this boy
He had the knack of boiling spuds and barley and yeast and things
And a whiff of steam from his dream machine
and you were in heaven with a pair of wings.
One summer day when there was no hay to hide his barrels of wash
Johnny was all surrounded and 'there was nowhere he could dash
The army and the R.U.C. his wee door had broken down
Then very gently by the hand they took him to the town.
The judge so sweet and dressed so neat as he sat on his cushy chair
Is it a licit ill still or illicit still just to help to clear the air.
It's a shame to see the likes of thee standing before the crown
When all you've done was just clean fun washing the odd throat down.
So on a holiday I will send you just a little gift from me
No hotel up the mountain side or cottage by the sea.
And when you return from your short sojourn if a noise out rear scares you
It could be me down on one knee trying to join the queue.
He was the eldest of three sons his parent's pride and joy
At the early age of only two there was something about this boy.
He had the knack of Boiling spuds and barley and yeast and things
And a whiff of steam from his dream machine
And you were in heaven with a pair of wings.
Written by Patsy Mullen in 1993 as a tribute to, and with the co-operation of
Johnny, a life-long friend and one of the every disappearing local characters.
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James McAleenan, related to the Builders, commenced his career as an Auctioneer in the 1890s,
in a small shop in the Lower Square. This place was part of James McKenny's prior to the fire.
James McAleenan had one son, Ben, and three daughters, Catherine, Gertrude and Nana, and it is
on record that the eldest was the first child christened in the then new R.C. Church. Ben was an
enthusiastic Footballer and kept goal for Annsborough about the 1910s. In 1900 James
McAleenan moved to the large two-storey building facing the Presbyterian Church, and with the
help of his three daughters, ran a Ladies Clothing and Wool Shop. That whole family had died
by the 1960s and this place has been non-business since, except for a small section at the rear
which was, until 1986, used as a Doctor's Surgery.
With the closure of Bustards in the 1920s Castlewellan had at least a dozen Footwear Repairers
on the loose. Some started small Confectionery and Shoe Repairing Shops in Mill Hill and the
Town. One man, Johnny Little, opened a Cobblers in the house next door to the Northern Bank,
but moved a year later to the Newcastle Road. He had just got a new house and workshop built in
1927 by the Contractor who was building the Masonic Hall at that time. The Hall was
demolished in the early 1970s, but Johnny's house is still to the fore and occupied by his son,
Jackie, a Painting Contractor. When this little house was completed at a cost of £170, it was the
last house on that side of the road. By the time Johnny died in 1972, the expanding Town had
changed that. The Builder of those two places was 'Porter' from Ballyward.
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The Commercial Hotel on the Lower Square, was owned in the 1900s, by Morgans. Mrs
Morgan, being a sister of old Tommy McCann, the Publican in the Town, was therefore an aunt
of Tom McCann, the present day Chemist. The Morgans sold to Strains, Scottish people, who
just visited there once or twice a year and left the running of the place to a man by the name of
McArdle. That was from the 1920s, until 1942, when Sean King purchased the whole lot for
£1,800.
Sean came from Upper Clarkhill, and served his time in Geordie Blackwood's Draper's Shop at
the top of the Town, and commenced his own business about 1935, by putting a car on the road
from which he sold drapery. He started with £12.00 worth of stock and a car of the same value.
Sean was a hard worker and any man needing a suit for Sunday could have relied on him
delivering one at any time the previous night: Distance was no obstacle. Sean's new venture, the
Hotel, had been used, at the turn of the Century, as a base for Cowans' horse drawn coaches and
jaunting cars and had a number of stables where people could put their horses, at a few pence per
day. This yard later became a Motor Repair Garage, run by Mick Clarke, in the 1930/50 period
but, when Sean King took over, he stirred up a hornet's nest by starting a piggery big enough to
require two men, Ned Rush and John Crossett, to look after it. During this time, Sam Hamilton,
from Kilkeel, had a stallion at stud, usually on a Monday, in the yard, up until about 1956.
Sean King died in 1980, leaving the Hotel to his son, Gerry, who, with his wife, Carmel, changed
the name from The Commercial to The Chestnut Inn, and built a function room at the rear,
calling it The Stables. Previous to this, Gerry had a large mobile Drapery Shop on the Road, but
had to give this line up to concentrate on the expanding hotel business.
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The new look Hotel with its new name, 1980.
Sean King
One of the most prominent vets in Castlewellan in the 1900s, was old Joe Thompson in the
Lower Square, beside the Hotel. The well stocked shelves were guarded by a six foot stuffed
black bear, to the left, inside the door, and appeared to be watching every move in the shop. Joe
was later helped by his three sons, Willie, Joe and Robert. Robert, the youngest, a likeable
person and fond of a yarn, would often recall some of his exploits to a customer, while his old
man made up some animal medicine. One of his favourites was the problem he had with a rat
which continually stole his eggs. Every time Robert went out to the rear of the house, this rat ran
behind a particular stone and, after all efforts to trap the rat failed, he devised a plan. He laid a
jam-jar on its side with the open end facing the house and well behind the stone. When the rat
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ran to its popular hiding place, Robert fired a shot into the jar, the shot rebounded out of the jar
again and killed the rat from behind' Having heard of brilliant deeds such as this, the customer
left fully convinced that the bottle in his hand contained a liquid miracle.
The Thompsons moved to a house on the Rathfriland Road, in the 1950s, having sold the shop to
Ian Crossett, who opened a Grocery, Fruit and Vegetable Store. In 1961, Ian sold this place to
Sean King, his neighbour, and moved across the street. Sean converted the lot into a private
house which it still is today.
Barney McAlinden had a second-hand clothes and footwear shop in the corner of James
McKenny's building, but lost all in the fire in 1921. He started again in a shop in the Lower
Square near the Hotel and the Bank. This place had previously been a pharmacy, owned and run
by a man called Savage, during the 1900s, and, a few years later, was occupied by George
Shannon, the Chemist, before he moved up to McAleenan's. Barney did a good, barely
noticeable trade till he died in the late fifties, leaving his wife, Moya. to carry on the business. It
closed altogether on the death of Moya in the 1970s.
The Morgan Family, early 1900's
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A flutter on the horses was Barney's hobby and, to increase his interest, he decided, along with
two other fellows, to hire Barney Jennings with his Austin Seven car, to take them to the Galway
Races. The first day was a disaster, with no money made and the whole evening spent hunting
for digs. They ended up in a small attic above a shop and got little sleep that night. About two in
the morning, the door of the room opened and a woman's voice said "Good night, and good
luck". This was to her husband who lay down and commenced moaning about his poor head - he
was obviously drunk. This narration went on for an hour, with everybody about to blow a fuse,
until Barney Jennings could stick it no longer. He got up, went over and asked the man if his
head hurt badly. "Terrible", was the reply. To this, Barney advised him to think very carefully as
to what it Would be like to feel the same all over. That put an end to the disturbance for the rest
of the night.
The following day found the boys at the Tuam Races, where they backed a real good winner,
only to find that the bookie had flown with all the dough. That finished McAlinden with the
horses. Barney's shop was bought by Jim Cunningham Jun. (Rosie), who converted it to a cafe,
with complete kitchen, etc., but it never opened as such and has been a private house since.
Charlie McElhill's, beside the Northern Bank, was once a Barber's Shop, run by Brendan
Magennis, from across the street, and, like all other barbers, was a community centre for all the
Town folk. Many a country lad walked from that shop with a bowl-style hair cut but, after the
Townies had had their laugh, was brought back for a proper dock.
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Early Occupants of Barney McAlinden's Shop.
Barney McAlinden's in the 1920's, and the grocery next door owned by a lady U. King. In front of
the Northern Bank and hidden by the knickerbockered lad is the old Barrack's Pump.
When Magennis closed, in 1935, the place became an electric shop, opened by a local man,
Paddy Fegan, who carried on a house wiring and appliance sales business and one of the few
places to stock radios and gramophones in those days. Johnny Little, the shoe maker, was in this
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place for about a year before moving to the Newcastle Road. During the late 1930s, when Fegan
was in occupation, a man from the Banbridge Road, had a taxi and had his stand at Fegan's door
and operated from there. Prior to all this the place was a Grocery in the 1920's, owned and run by
a widow woman, Mrs. U. King, from Gargary.
The Northern Bank
Alphonsus Connolly
Charlie McElhill's father, Eddie, was a Policeman in the Town for over thirty years and was
constantly on the trail of the, illicit taxi men, the Jennings, from the Hill. He stopped the 'Rook'
Jennings one night and, after a severe chastisement, threatened the Rook with Court and a hefty
fine. "You can't take feathers from a frog", said the Rook. "No", said McElhill, "but we can take
the frog". The Rook Jennings was christened Hugh, and, being one of the town's most cold-rifed
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youths, crouched over every fire he could get near. Some said he looked like a perching Rook, so
he had to carry that new name till the day he died.
The Northern Bank in the Lower Square, facing the R.C. Church was built around 1920, of
native granite. The front displays the skills of local tradesmen with carved mouldings
surrounding the doors and windows.
During the 1960's, the resident Manger was a South of Ireland man, Alphonsus Connolly, who
often produced a £10,000 note from his pocket. This he had kept as a souvenir of his days as a
young cashier in Cork, in the 1920's, having been presented with the note by a man using it in a
business transaction. However, it was found to be outdated and worthless. 'Phonsy' was very
fond of a game of golf and, on his retirement in 1969, moved to Newcastle to be convenient to
the golf course, where he is still playing a few rounds.
One of the first managers in the Northern Bank, was a Mr. Thompson who had an unfortunate
accident in the building in the mid 1920's - the death of a young son by drowning in the bath,
which shocked the community at the time.
The present Manager is Eugene McCloskey, a keen bowls player and a member of the local
team, who play weekly in the Market House.
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On the Main Street facing the R.C. Church stands the old police barracks, built about 1830 for
that purpose and belonged to the Annesley Estate. These premises, just vacated by the R.U.C.
were leased in 1960 to Patsy Mullen, a local man, for 200 years at £85. per. year but were bought
outright in 1976 for £1750. Patsy built a motor repair garage at the rear with petrol pumps on the
square.
About the late 50's, he became friendly with two teenage boys who were crazy about grass-track
motor cycling, Anthony Steele the present owner of the meat factory in the town and his chum
Tom Herron from Leitrim. Most of their time was spent working at their bikes in the garage.
Grass-tracking was a new sport then, and there was always a meeting somewhere every week.
Tom's Uncles were all road racing motor cyclists having some championships to their credit as
well as racing in the Isle of Man T.T. It was no surprise to Patsy when Tom and Anthony arrived
one day with a van load of bike bits and asked to have a road racing machine made up as Tom
intended making his debut in the road sport that Saturday. With the help of Anthony, work went
on throughout the nights until Thursday, at dusk this bike was pushed up Claremont Avenue by
Patsy and Tony who tested it with a few quick flights from Annesley's entrance gate to the Castle
door and away again before Mr. Annesley could catch them, however, it's doubtful if he would
have bothered any way, being a sportsman himself. (In the 1930's there was motor car hill
climbing on Ballybannon with a vast variety of racing machines. Two cars, side by, side would
start at the little gate house at the Bridge and were timed to 'The Finn'. Crossroads. The local
competitor was Gerry Annesley in his M.G. Sports, but he was no match for the Belfast men who
had it all behind the goggles.
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Tom Herron and an Action Shot, 1979
A very early picture of Hill Climbing on Ballybannon.
The old Police Barracks, with the Porch. The monument was blown up about 1970.
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Mullen's Garage, 1971.
Visitors in Mullen's Garage, 1980.
Back Row: Malachy Cunningham, Descendent of the Hauliers; Patsy Mullen,
Proprietor; Sean Cummings, Annsborough. Pat Murray, Taxi Man.
Front Row: Sean Murray, Local Barber.
Robert Brown, Northern Bank, Castlewellan, enjoying a run in
Mullen's car on the Kirkistown Circuit 1979.
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Robert Brown enjoying a run in Mullen's car on the Kirkistown Circuit 1979.
Tom Herron raced on the Saturday, bringing no laurels home that day but within a few years
reached world champion class. Unfortunately on the North West circuit at Portrush in 1979, Tom
met his death. Anthony injured his back in a grass-track meeting and had to give up racing. Patsy
developed a small racing car - the proto type being one of his most treasured possessions.
In 1975 the petrol station was closed and removed. The garage, a better proposition was kept
open till Patsy retired in 1986. All this so called progress, necessitated the removal of the old
barrack pump which commanded a prominent position for centuries in the lower square. Leaving
one less old reliable friend in Castlewellan.
When Patsy Mullen first opened a garage in the forties, Barney Jennings, a close friend, gave
him an old anvil which belonged to Dan the great grandfather of the Jennings who worked at
shoeing horses behind the cottage at Bunkers' Hill, about the 1900's. Barney told Patsy that
money was so hard to get in the old days, that Dan, who was choking for a beer, made a half
crown out of lead, ran to the Pub and called a drink. When the Publican lifted the coin he
dropped it yelling "you might have let it cool"' Patsy still has the anvil as well as a truck barrow
which once belonged to the Railway in Castlewellan.
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Mickey at the helm of the lifeboat.
He considers it a pity that there isn't some place in the town to store old relics like these, having
made a vain attempt himself to get a small museum started in 1961. Patsy Mullen was always a
keen boatman and after the war built a small sloop type yacht which he raced for a few seasons
about the 1950/60 period but despite all efforts was only able to get one second place. The prize
at that time was thirty shillings which he gave to his crew, who were on that day Paddy, "the
Hiker", Leneghan and his cousin Mickey, both Life-Boat crew members. Mickey later became
Skipper of the Lifeboat, and was decorated, and for a living works for the Department of the
Environment in Castlewellan and Newcastle. One of Mullen's worst experiences at sea, was
following a visit to his garage one morning in 1952 by a strange priest who had just arrived as a
curate in the town. He had just got a phone call telling him that his fifty foot sailing boat had
broken its' moorings in the previous night's gale and was lying on its' side on rocks two miles off
Whiterock, Patsy being the only one in Castlewellan known to be interested in boats at that time
was soon on his way with the Priest to try and save the boat from total destruction. This they did
through an experience which brought father Peter Madden and Patsy Mullen together to become
close friends often sailing as mates till Father Madden died suddenly five years later.
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P. F. McCartan had, at the low end of Castlewellan Main Street, one of the largest General
Stores, in the early 1900s. The entire lot was bought by Patrick McAnulty, in 1914, he having
just sold a business in Ballyward. McAnulty's new purchase consisted of one large Grocery Shop
next the Police Barracks, a dwelling house between that shop and a well stocked Hardware Store
and, ending that whole block was a modern pub, 'The Fountain Bar', named after the Fountain
across the street, with its private snugs and spacious billiard rooms above. Patrick rented land
around the Town and farmed this to supply fresh milk and butter for his kitchen, as well as
grazing for his team of black horses used for his Funeral Undertaking business. Threshing day
was always a great favourite with a few local youths, who helped untie the stooks and thought
themselves well paid with a few bob but, more so, with the four course dinner, rounded off with
a large plate of home-made ice cream.
McAnulty had six sons and, while these boys were being educated, had to employ a large staff22 in all. Having the reputation of never ref using anyone anything, he found himself in financial
trouble in 1928. Patrick had to close both shops as well as a petrol pump, in front of the
premises. About two years later, McAnulty's were in business again with Hardware and Grocery
combined in one shop, plus the pub which had always remained open. This new venture lasted
about a year and the shop closed altogether.
John, one of the sons, kept the Funeral side of the business going, having bought a motor hearse
and taxi while Andy, the youngest, worked in the pub. Tom Breen, the son of the Kilcoo
Schoolmaster, and who had served his time with John Shilliday, Hardware, opened a store in
McAnulty's lower shop, on the very same day as Hugh King, Draper, and Stanley Whyte,
Grocer, started on their own account. Tom Breen operated there until he retired in 1974, still
proud of the G.A.A. Football medals he had won in his younger days.
About 1930, a young man, Jimmy Joe Hanna, from the Cow Lane, (which runs from the
Newcastle Road to Burren Wood), partitioned off a section of the upper empty shop and started
to sell confectionery, cigarettes and fruit. He later added an old tourer car as a means of
transporting his fruit from door to door. This was common in those days, as there were no small
motor vans to be had. To Jimmy's dismay, however, he found a McFadden car in front and
behind him everywhere he went. This started a price war but Jimmy was no match for the
McFaddens, or the young girls who sat all day eating his sweets through a cloud of his tobacco
smoke. So Jimmy just quit, in 1934, and went to England, where he died about the early 1980s.
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The McAnulty Property, 1986
Barney McAnulty admiring his stock.
When Jimmy Joe Hanna was moving out of McAnulty's, a Ballynahinch man, Hugh McKelvey,
took over the main part of this shop and operated a push-bike, motor cycle, radio and radio
battery sales and repairs. Hugh was very much to the forefront in running the local G.A.A.
Football Team, and spent all his spare time doing that. Hugh retired in 1967, and went to
London.
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Little shops didn't lie empty for long in Castlewellan in the thirties and Jimmy Hanna's wee spot
was soon occupied by an old fellow, Paddy McLean, the Saddler, whose main aim in life was to
be able to beat old Paddy King, from the Circular Road, at draughts. Those two antagonists
confronted each other every day and weeks went past without a single move on the board. When
the saddler retired, his apprentice from Magheramayo took over, but saddlery had had its day,
and Joe McAlarney lasted a short time. The next tenant was Mrs Middleton, from Belfast, who
sold footwear, and survived there from 1960 to 1965, before retiring.
With the retirement of McKelvey and Middieton, the whole shop was opened again by John
McElrath, a mechanic with the U.T.A., in Newcastle. He already had a second-hand furniture
business going in the billiard rooms above the pub, which was managed by Jimmy Boden from
the Town. John did well, till he retired in 1967.
A complete change took place in this old shop, in 1968, when three young men started a printing
business; Tom McAllister, a son of Tony McAllister, Joe Kane from Maghera, Newcastle and
Jimmy Greene, from Ballybannon. In 1970, Jimmy emigrated to America. Then, unfortunately,
in 1972, Joe Kane was drowned in a swimming accident, while on holiday in Donegal. That left
Tom McAllister and his wife, Rosemary, to carry on the printing works. 1977 saw the
McAllisters up the Main Street, having bought James Wilson and Sons Furniture store, with the
printing works at the rear of the new premises. All this, and a later introduction of drapery, is
doing well under the trade name 'Printrite'.
Frank McAnulty died in the early sixties and, when the printers moved out, his widow, Bridie,
opened a Grocery, Confectionery and Toy Shop. In 1974, the Hardware Shop was reopened and
managed by Barney McAnulty, in the original location. Both shops are doing extremely well,
without the pub which was closed altogether in 1980.
Adjacent to their premises, McAnulty's had a shed about 200 feet long, which ran from the Main
road to the extreme end of the farm yard. This contained a row of horse stalls on either side and
farmers would leave their carts, loaded with pigs and other produce, up the Town and park the
horses in McAnulty's shed, at afew pence per day. In 1926, aportion of this shed next the main
road, was partitioned off and Jack Patterson, from Bryansford, opened and ran a motor garage
there, till 1930, when it was taken over by Paddy Fegan. It closed again about 1932. This little
garage was later used as a workshop for cutting granite headstones and closed once again in
1973.
In 1937, the entire 200 foot shed ,had collapsed under two feet of snow. After all the work of
rebuilding which entailed a horse carting two loads of sand per day from the shore at Newcastle,
it was on the ground again within a couple of years under another snow fall, never to be rebuilt.
On the retirement of John McAnulty, Castlewellan was without another taxi. One was previously
owned by Matt McMullan, from the Newcastle Road, who had his stand on McAnulty's
forecourt for~ the best :part of his working life. At the extreme rear end of McAnulty's property
was a large lean-to shed, where the Mcs later kept their hearse and, from that place, Jimmy
McEvoy, from Bunkers Hill, operated his printing firm in the 1940s.
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About the late 1930s the third and never to be forgotten show appeared in Castlewellan. Some of
the local Greyhound fanciers and owners, here named as, 'Trix' Eddie Donnegan, Nickerbuckers
Quinn, both from the Town and a Ballylough man Teddy McCartan, decided it was time to have
a race track locally and McAnulty's field was chosen as it was 200 yards long. A single strand of
wire was laid on the ground and fixed at both ends. On this was placed a small sleigh carrying a
dummy hare and this in turn was pulled along the wire by a rope using the power transmitted by
Buckers Quinn. A three foot wooden pulley fitted to the old back axle of a car was cranked as
hard as Quinn could turn it and who was well supported by the cheers from the crowd who were
there mostly to see what would happen if Buckers collapsed and the hare caught. To say that this
venture had a short life would be a fair comment as the meetings ended in a free for all.
Greyhounds no longer strapped to their proud owners, had the freedom of choice to go to the
town or head for the open country, unnoticed or missed, and poor Buckers, no longer interested
in the proceedings, was on his back drowning in his own sweat and receiving the kiss of life
from Arthur Guinness. Those race days must go down as some of Castlewellan's more
memorable ones. This field is now the site for a Housing Estate, the Credit Union Offices and a
new large Doctor's Surgery.
Castlewellan, built amid a range of hills in South Down, gives the villagers a panoramic view of
the surrounding countryside; the envy of all outsiders. Castlewellan is four miles from the sea
shore and little more, from the world famous Mountains of Mourne. It is almost surrounded by
one of the most picturesque parks in Ireland. This demesne provides interest for every type of
outdoor person. It's two and a half or three mile water edge walk around the lake which in turn is
surrounded by mountains abounding with wildlife protected by almost every known tree and
shrub known to man is a sight to behold at any time of the country's four distinctive seasons. All
this together with large gardens cared for by local experts, provide a brilliant colour scheme the
year round. The castle, situated above, and looking out across the lake, must finalise the dream of
all scenic artists. Truly a place to live in, forever.
This was how the stranger summed up the Town of Castlewellan. But what about the natives,
especially the male? "A tricky question" he replied. Then he took a pen and paper from his
pocket and the following is his written analysis.
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J. Kane, T. McAllister, J. Greene.
The Castlewellan Man
I was born a Castlewellan man
Before my age was one
And toddled round in napkins
'Til I found that wasn't fun
At the age of two, I made by debut
Out on the Town's Main Street
And what I saw set me agog
And got me on my feet.
At the age of five, I was quite alive
And lugged up Town to School
The Master, he was tall and smart
And remarkably cool
He roared and bawled, he thumped about
He called for help to God
But sure, he wasted all his time
The silly auld cod.
My knees were black and shiny
Like tarmac on the run
And the crust around my two nose holes
Like sugar on a bun
My hair hung down in tattles
My boots and clothes in shreds
And any time my Ma caught me
She locked me in the sheds.
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When I became sweet fifteen
I got myself a job
A Castlewellan man was I then
If not a little snob
The wages then was shillings four
This made me big and rich
It filled my head so full of pride
I knew not what from which
I opened up my first pay poke
And gave my Ma a Bob
She smiled at me and winked an eye
"Mon, your dinners on the hob".
I reached the age of twenty five
And I was wed, at last
And all my little frailties
were then well in the past
My wife a little red head
Born with lots of drive
We hadn't got an awful lot
But managed to survive
Every time she yelled at me
I took to my heels and ran
Maybe I should have turned around
And made some sort of stand
But then, the tale is still the same
Since the time the world began
The women are the weaker sex
But have the upper hand.
I was born a Castlewellan man
And it's clear as day to see
Any sort of row or fight
Was not the place for me
I am a large and burly man
I love my shorts and beer
I sometimes have my bitter days
Then again some cheer
I like to lie across the bar
To brag and loudly spout
But all my courage seems to come
From that little glass of stout.
I am a Castlewellan man
As cocky as can be
And a he man still, I am
If only just to me.
I was born a Castlewellan man
And blessed with a children three
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The stories that I told those kids
As they sat upon my knee
Exploits of my former days
On land, on sea and skies
God help me when they first find out
They were all a pack of lies.
I was born a Castlewellan man
Now I'm growing old
And all my little memories
Could not be bought with gold
I sit upon my rocking seat
And oft with worried face
Think of when I'm in my grave
And who'll run the bloody place.
P.MULLEN
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Acknowledgements
This condensed version of life in Castlewellan, was written in 1986, as a tribute to all those
people who kept the little Town alive for the last 86 years and, no less so, to the vast number
who have since disappeared and could not be traced. It was compiled from information, almost
entirely from memory, and photographs gladly presented by the whole community; thus giving
all an equal share in the project. For any discrepancies which, undoubtedly, must occur,
apologies are humbly offered.
My thanks to:
Ita Mullen, Eileen Mullen
Eileen Mullen, Jill Hutton
Mel Mullen, Newcastle
(Checking Draft)
(Typing Manuscript)
(Assisting with Photography)
Amendment by Patsy Mullen in 1994
This document was produced by Regina and Mel Mullen.
The Author
The man himself in his museum posed for a local newspaper.
Born 1st June 1921 in Annsborough (County Down, Northern Ireland) Patsy Mullen is himself a
true local character. Moving across “the Town” to Seaview and then to Newcastle for a time
strengthened his curiosity for the people and history of this beautiful part of Co. Down. Patsy
bought the old police barracks in 1960 and has lived there ever since. Undoubtedly one of the
best mechanical engineers ever in Castlewellan, Patsy kept a thriving garage going until his
retirement in 1985.
During his working life Patsy made a point of collecting bits and pieces of Castlewellan history,
both written and artefacts, but it was on retirement that this became a way of life. People from far
and near left articles of interest with Patsy, to the extent that one of the best local Museums in
Ireland was created. Eventually in 1994 Patsy handed his huge collection into the safe keeping of
Down County Museum where a rotating display of a selection of the exhibits are now
maintained.
This book was first written and printed by Patsy in 1986 and is a tribute to his memories and
diligent recording of life in “the Town”. Many buildings have changed hands again in the time
since then but the unique character of Castlewellan captured forever in this book lives on in the
daily lives and memories of people like Mr. Patsy Mullen.
Map of Castlewellan